The growing economic crisis in Cuba has led to an increasingly concerning phenomenon: a rising number of children working to contribute to their families' survival. Although it is not the most common phenomenon, it is on the rise and reflects the seriousness of the situation.
The news portal CubaNet shared a video showing children searching for money in various ways in Havana, such as looking for items in the trash, engaging in street vending, or begging.
"It is not a widespread problem, but the number of children and adolescents who are forced to work to help make ends meet is increasing," noted the cited website.
"About the reasons, there is no discussion in the official channels," stated CubaNet, citing UNICEF, which acknowledged that in Cuba, at least nine percent of the child population suffers from extreme food poverty, a situation that is likely compounded by other issues such as exposure to violence, material shortages of all kinds, and precarious living conditions.
Although the Cuban regime does not admit its responsibility for the increase in child labor in the country, it blames families, holding them entirely accountable for this social problem.
Last Friday, the official newspaper 5 de Septiembre from Cienfuegos quoted Lieutenant Colonel Marilín Cuellar Valdivia, Head of the Minor's Department of the Ministry of the Interior in Cienfuegos, who did not hesitate to attack the families of these children and teenagers, stating that "in the majority of cases, it is an activity incited by the adult family members themselves, or at least allowed by them."
According to Cuellar, this situation, which constitutes a discipline breach, should not be seen as "something normal," and he specified that it is more frequent in the popular councils of Caonao, Tulipán, and Junco Sur.
The news portal indicated that it is common to see children and teenagers selling different products, especially seasonal fruits like mangoes, avocados, and mamoncillos.
In Cuba, the law prohibits child labor and protects the rights of minors, according to the Constitution and the Labor Code. However, educational institutions in Santiago de Cuba, such as IPU-Cuqui Bosch and Secundaria Básica Espino Fernández, have identified cases of child labor in their communities.
A study conducted by the newspaper Sierra Maestra revealed cases of primary school students who miss classes to work. They arrive late or skip school to help their families, something the regime criticized for decades, blaming capitalism and claiming that "that doesn't happen in the Revolution."
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