Entrepreneur in Las Tunas Fined for Briefly Leaving His Business to Collect Grandfather's Medicine

A Cuban entrepreneur reported being fined by inspectors in Chaparra, Las Tunas, after briefly leaving his small business to pick up medication for his disabled grandfather, who relies on family support for care.

"Was it really so hard to wait 10 minutes?" questioned Boris Luis, owner of a confectionery shop in Jesús Menéndez municipality, as he recounted the incident on his Facebook profile.

According to Boris, he received a call that morning informing him that his grandfather's medication had arrived at the municipal terminal. His grandfather, suffering from severe physical and mental decline, is unable to walk.

Boris left his business in the temporary care of his mother and another relative to fetch the medications. During his absence, two inspectors visited the shop and found that those present were not legally registered as operators of the business.

The entrepreneur stated that his mother tried to explain the situation and even offered to show them the ailing grandfather to prove it wasn't an excuse. Instead of reconsidering, the inspectors increased the fine and warned that it could be raised further.

Boris called from the terminal, requesting the inspectors wait less than ten minutes for his return, but they refused and departed before he could arrive.

"Today, for leaving my business for no more than 20 minutes due to a life-or-death situation, I was harshly and insensitively fined," he lamented.

Boris also criticized the severe action against his small business while, in his view, significant illegalities in the municipality go unchecked by inspectors. He claimed that one inspector was using his establishment as a demonstration for the other on how to enforce regulations.

Boris announced his intention to file a formal complaint "at all levels" regarding the incident.

Las Tunas Under Intense Inspection Campaign

The complaint emerges just weeks after an intense crackdown on private businesses in Las Tunas. In August, authorities conducted 570 inspections targeting self-employed workers, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and non-agricultural cooperatives in the province. The operation resulted in 22 closures, eight license revocations, and fines exceeding 1.2 million pesos.

In Las Tunas city alone, another operation led to more than 4,000 inspections and 2,000 fines, highlighting numerous irregularities identified by authorities.

This campaign is part of a broader tightening of control over the private sector that has spread to other provinces. In Matanzas, for instance, authorities recently reported 46 business closures following the discovery of over 1,800 infractions.

These penalties are issued under a results-based payment system for inspectors and fine collectors, introduced by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero in December 2024. The government justified this as a means to improve the low wages of these workers.

The system has faced criticism. In April, a report highlighted inspectors acknowledging the need to return with "results," while other recent cases have drawn criticism for the severity of fines imposed on small businesses.

For Boris, the incident threatens low-resource enterprises. "I hope this is an isolated case because, if not, small businesses like mine, which can't afford to give away, are doomed to fail," he concluded.

The case brings to mind the young barber Elián González Fajardo, known as "Eliobarber GF," who in August complained about a 16,000-peso fine imposed by inspectors in Cauto Cristo, Granma, for not presenting receipts for blades and talcum powder that he received from family abroad for work.

The entrepreneur then asserted that the inspectors' demands jeopardized the continuity of his business, which supports his family, and questioned why a previous inspection had not detected any issues. "I feel that many young people like me work in fear due to the hefty fines imposed," he lamented.