Cuban regime blames families and the "blockade" for the increase in homelessness

The Cuban regime attributes the increase in the number of homeless people in Santiago de Cuba to family neglect and the tightening of the United States embargo, according to a report published in the print edition of the official newspaper Sierra Maestra.

In the interview granted to the local media, the provincial director of Labor and Social Security, Ernesto González Ojea, acknowledged that the current economic context—aggravated, he said, by "the intensification of the hostile policy of the United States government against Cuba"—limits access to medications, food, and other essential goods.

In his opinion, this situation primarily affects "sectors, families, and individuals in vulnerable situations," who are "the most likely to be impacted."

However, beyond blaming external factors, González focused on the Cuban families themselves as responsible for the phenomenon of the so-called vagrants.

"Behaviors, based on evaluations conducted from social work and comprehensive care, have generally increased due to family neglect," he stated, without acknowledging that the internal crisis also exacerbates the situation.

He added that many families fail to comply with the provisions established in the new Family Code, approved by referendum in 2022, which clearly defines the responsibilities towards their vulnerable members.

"Family neglect is one of the main causes we have identified," the official stated, noting that social workers and prevention groups must act to identify families that "are unable to care for or deliberately do not care for" their vulnerable relatives.

In his presentation, González Ojea avoided mentioning that the profound economic crisis the country is experiencing, characterized by high levels of inflation, food shortages, power outages, and a healthcare system in crisis, is also a result of the internal policies of the regime, beyond the U.S. embargo.

To help address the issue, the authorities have established a social care center in Santiago de Cuba called "Con-Pasión", located on Heredia Street, where medical assistance and recreational activities are provided to homeless individuals.

Additionally, it operates a Social Protection Center in El Viso, in the town of El Caney, where the homeless receive shelter and opportunities for job reintegration.

The institutions complement these services with the Family Assistance System (SAF), which is present in all municipalities and, according to the official report, provides basic food, cultural and recreational activities, as well as legal assistance through the Citizens' Defense Office.

The official stated that there are plans to establish similar centers in all municipalities of Santiago de Cuba, especially in the main popular councils, to decentralize care and prevent the most serious cases from falling outside provincial reach.

González also tried to clarify the differences between "wandering individuals" and "individuals with wandering behavior," explaining that some people may temporarily exhibit erratic behaviors due to mental disorders or family issues, whereas true wanderers are those who, abandoned or lacking solid family ties, end up living chronically on the street.

In addition, he acknowledged that there are cases of people who survive on the streets due to alcoholism or by engaging in begging activities, using religious images to ask for money and then consuming alcoholic beverages.

"A portion of them returns to that behavior sooner or later," he pointed out.

The institutional approach towards these individuals is carried out by multidisciplinary teams composed of the National Revolutionary Police (PNR), the Ministry of Public Health, the Provincial Prosecutor's Office, the Citizens' Defense Office, and other official bodies. They evaluate each case to determine the type of care needed and the potential relocation to nursing homes, elderly care facilities, or mental health centers.

Although the regime tries to present its response as an organized and humanitarian effort, citizen criticism on social media and independent forums underscores that the phenomenon of homeless individuals, increasingly visible in cities like Havana, Santiago de Cuba, and Holguín, is a direct consequence of the severe economic crisis, social deterioration, and the lack of effective public policies to address the growing structural poverty in the country.

While the official discourse insists on blaming external factors and families, there remains a widespread perception among large sectors of the population that the lack of opportunities, the precariousness of wages, the real social insecurity, and the State's inability to guarantee a decent life are the true causes of the problem.

A recent report from the state-run newspaper Girón has revealed one of the most painful realities of current Cuba: the extreme precariousness in which thousands of retirees live who, after decades of work, are forced to survive on the streets.

In Matanzas, under the scorching Caribbean sun, elderly individuals who once held essential positions in the national economy now sell bags, cigars, powdered sweets, or fruits on street corners and doorways.

Raúl Navarro González, author of the report titled “Surviving After Working”, starkly depicts scenes of elderly men and women who cannot meet their basic needs with the pensions they receive from the State. The series of captured images showcases the daily struggle of those who, instead of resting after a lifetime of work, must extend their efforts to ensure their livelihood.

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