A 91-year-old man suffering from Parkinson's and polycythemia walks the streets of Zamorana, Santiago de Cuba, each day, begging for food. His plight was captured in a video shared on Facebook by opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer García, founder of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), deeply moving many both on and off the island.
Residing alone on 20th Street, between 1st and 6th in Zamorana, the elderly man not only battles the tremors from Parkinson's but also the aftermath of an accident that severely injured his foot, leading to the amputation of a toe.
With a meager monthly pension of 3,000 Cuban pesos—falling short of the new official minimum of 4,000 pesos set in September 2025—he struggles to buy food.
“What can you do with 3,000 pesos? Try buying something on the street and you'll see,” he tells the activist, his calm demeanor speaking louder than any protest.
A System Failing the Vulnerable
The government provides a dining service for retirees and those with physical disabilities, but it is insufficient. "It's not enough. What they give you is soup water, strained peas, and rice, all without salt. That's what I eat there," he explains.
Outside of that facility, his daily life consists of begging. "I ask for mercy on the streets. I ask people to give me something to eat, and they do. That's what I do every single day," he recounts, describing his reality without dramatics.
When Ferrer García inquires about his faith in government promises to raise salaries, his response is blunt: “I don't believe in anything. I can't believe.”
The Stark Reality of Aging in Cuba
The most poignant moment comes at the end of the conversation: "Sometimes you'd rather be dead than alive... We're struggling without food, without anything. Do you understand? This is Cuba; this isn't some movie story. This is real."
Ferrer García, actively documenting such cases from Santiago de Cuba in 2026, summed up the video with a stark message: “This is the reality for many elderly people in Cuba today, 91 years old. And he's on the street begging to get something to eat. This is reality in Cuba.”
As the activist bids farewell to the elderly man, he hands him money to buy food. The man expresses gratitude and continues his slow journey through the shaded streets of Zamorana.
An Aging Population with Little Support
This man's situation is not unique. An April report on the collapse of Cuba's social assistance system revealed that 51 municipalities lack elder care services entirely, and the 156 existing nursing homes offer only 12,697 beds nationwide.
In March 2026, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security admitted, “There are no resources to support vulnerable people,” a stark contrast to decades of propaganda touting the social achievements of the Revolution.
The issue is deeply rooted. Cuba is the most aged country in Latin America: 26.7% of its population—around 2.5 million people—are 60 or older, according to the National Office of Statistics and Information.
In 2025, deaths (136,214) nearly doubled births (68,064). The massive emigration of young people has left thousands of elderly without family support, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis among seniors with no state response in sight.
A survey by the Independent Trade Union Association of Cuba among 506 retirees across five provinces found that 99% believe their pension does not cover food, housing, or medicine, and 98.8% feel institutionally abandoned.
Understanding the Aging Crisis in Cuba
Why is the elderly population in Cuba struggling?
Due to a lack of adequate social services and financial support, many elderly people in Cuba face poverty and rely on begging because their pensions are insufficient to cover basic needs.
What are the challenges faced by the Cuban government in supporting its elderly population?
The Cuban government struggles with resource shortages and an aging population, leading to inadequate elder care services and insufficient pension funds, which are further strained by economic difficulties and emigration.
How does the lack of resources affect elderly care in Cuba?
The scarcity of resources means that many municipalities do not have elder care facilities, and existing ones are overstretched. This leaves many elderly individuals without adequate support or care.