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Díaz-Canel Criticizes Labor Minister for Insensitive Remarks on Homelessness

Wednesday, July 16, 2025 by Madison Pena

In a recent parliamentary session, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel criticized officials who display arrogance and insensitivity towards the country's most vulnerable individuals. Although he did not mention her by name, his comments were a clear reference to the Minister of Labor and Social Security, Marta Elena Feitó Cabrera. Her recent statements, which downplayed the existence of homeless people in Cuba, sparked public outrage.

“None of us should act arrogantly or with a sense of superiority, disconnected from the realities faced by our people,” Díaz-Canel asserted, visibly upset. His remarks, made during the meeting of the Youth, Child and Women's Rights Commission of the National Assembly, signal a shift in the official narrative and represent a public distancing from a sitting minister.

Díaz-Canel emphasized that recent comments about so-called “wanderers” reveal a “superficial” and “disconnected” understanding of the issue's complexity. While he refrained from directly addressing Feitó, the context made his target clear: his intervention occurred shortly after the minister denied the existence of beggars, dismissed those scavenging for food as “disguised” individuals, and accused waste collectors of being “illegal self-employed workers.”

Public Denunciation and Official Shift

“I don't agree with some opinions expressed in this commission. It wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t say so. It is counterproductive to make such judgments when acknowledging a problem's existence,” added the president, appointed by Raúl Castro in 2018. In a speech laden with symbolic language and broadcast in full by state television, Díaz-Canel reiterated that those living in street or abandonment situations “belong to us” and deserve care, not stigma.

“If these are issues in our society, they are our wanderers, our people in vulnerable situations, our communities… And we must resolve them ourselves,” he declared. For Díaz-Canel, denying or criminalizing this reality contradicts the principles of the Revolution. “The Revolution is not defended by hiding problems,” he stressed, adding that acknowledging these issues is not shameful but rather a sign of ethical and political commitment.

In another part of his address, Díaz-Canel called on public officials to show greater sensitivity towards social inequalities: “If your heart doesn’t resonate with the problems we face, you won’t find the energy to tackle them,” he stated. “We must act with sensitivity, seriousness, humanism… with respect, humility, warmth, and decent behavior.”

Social Programs and Economic Crisis

The president acknowledged that vulnerability conditions have worsened due to the economic crisis, which he attributed to the “tightening of the blockade.” Despite this, he assured that the country has over 30 social programs to address various forms of exclusion.

Although Díaz-Canel has previously invoked revolutionary humanism, his remarks now follow a wave of national and international outrage over Feitó's discourse, as activists, intellectuals, and citizens demanded her immediate dismissal. The minister had claimed that supposed beggars “do not exist” and that people on the streets had found an easy way to live without working. These statements were seen as an attempt to criminalize poverty and deny its growing visibility on the island.

So far, Feitó has not issued apologies or clarifications. However, her stance has been refuted not only by Díaz-Canel but also by data from the Cuban Human Rights Observatory, which reveals that 89% of Cuban families live in extreme poverty.

Díaz-Canel’s intervention might be interpreted as an effort to distance himself from the political fallout caused by his minister’s words. It could also signify a fracture in the official discourse, which until now had remained silent or minimized the issue of indigence.

“Yes, those manifestations exist. We don’t feel ashamed to acknowledge it. They exist, but we are addressing them. We care about the people living in that situation. We are committed to overcoming it. We are determined to transform it,” he concluded.

For the first time in a long while, Cuba’s leadership has had to publicly discuss the harshest faces of its crisis: those who sleep in doorways, those who scavenge through garbage, and those who ask for alms. This time, the criticism didn’t come from outside but from the highest echelons of power.

Understanding the Cuban Leadership's Response to Homelessness

What prompted Díaz-Canel to criticize his labor minister?

Díaz-Canel criticized his labor minister following her controversial statements denying the existence of homeless people in Cuba, which provoked public outrage and were seen as insensitive and dismissive of the country’s vulnerable populations.

How did Díaz-Canel address the issue of homelessness?

Díaz-Canel acknowledged the existence of homelessness and emphasized the need for sensitivity and humanism in addressing social inequalities. He called for public officials to show empathy and a commitment to resolving these issues.

What was the reaction to Feitó's statements on homelessness?

Feitó's statements denying the existence of homelessness in Cuba were met with national and international outrage. Activists and citizens demanded her removal, viewing her comments as an attempt to criminalize poverty.

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