Natacha Díaz, a celebrated Cuban actress with an illustrious career spanning over 50 years, recently shared in an interview with the digital program La Familia Cubana how she had to resort to cleaning houses in 2019 to make ends meet after the state-run radio and television system stopped hiring her.
With humor and unabashed honesty, Díaz recounted how she stumbled upon this job by chance. Having just moved to an apartment at the corner of 19 and 20 in Havana's Plaza de la Revolución district, she witnessed a neighbor, Belkis, arguing with her housekeeper. Without hesitation, Díaz stepped in, declaring, "I'm the one you're looking for," and promptly negotiated her pay: "How much will you give me?"
The agreed-upon rate was ten CUC per week—equivalent to $10 at the time when the Cuban convertible peso was pegged to the U.S. dollar. Díaz even worked Sundays, as the two-story house was just half a block from her home.
"I was a millionaire with that refrigerator," Díaz quipped, referring to how the earnings allowed her to fix an appliance that had been broken since she moved in.
Her remark, laced with irony, underscores the severe economic challenges: for a 2023 National Television Award-winning actress—the highest honor in Cuba's television industry—$10 a week seemed like a windfall.
The root cause of her predicament was straightforward: "Television wasn't calling me," Díaz explained. Under the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television (ICRT) system, actors only earn money when they are summoned for work. When these calls cease—without explanation or compensation—income vanishes entirely, regardless of one's accolades or experience.
Díaz's situation is not unique. In December 2024, actress Eileen Acosta disclosed that a lead role in Cuban television pays less than $50 a month; she earned about $25 monthly for her co-starring role in the soap opera Viceversa. "It's not enough for anything," she lamented.
Actor Roberto Perdomo reported in July this year that his theater salary didn't even cover transportation costs, prompting him to stop accepting such work. Weeks later, he revealed that his retirement income of 6,000 Cuban pesos a month wasn't sufficient to afford a plane ticket to meet his grandchild born abroad.
This pattern of state neglect toward Cuban artists has been persistently criticized. In July 2025, Cuban artists described a "declining situation" plagued by an energy crisis, expensive transportation, exorbitant prices, and state neglect. By April 2026, artist Jesús Concepción López pointed out that many creators are unable to set fair prices for their work because necessity forces them to sell at any price to survive.
At the start of the interview, Natacha Díaz stated, "That's why I have dignity here. Because the revolution gave opportunities, it has given them, and I have made the most of them. But everything has come at the cost of my effort." Her statement, when considered alongside her story, starkly highlights the disconnect between the official rhetoric supporting culture and the harsh reality faced by those who sustain it.
Understanding the Challenges of Cuban Artists
Why did Natacha Díaz start cleaning houses?
Natacha Díaz began cleaning houses in 2019 because the state-run radio and television system stopped hiring her, leaving her without a source of income.
How much did Natacha Díaz earn from cleaning houses?
She earned ten CUC per week, which was equivalent to $10 at the time, as the Cuban convertible peso was pegged to the U.S. dollar.
What challenges do Cuban artists face according to the article?
Cuban artists face financial hardships due to low pay, state neglect, a lack of consistent work, and economic instability, which forces them to find alternative ways to make a living.