A few hours after assuring Parliament that there are "no beggars" in Cuba, the Minister of Labor and Social Security, Marta Elena Feitó Cabrera, submitted her resignation, which was "accepted" by the Political Bureau and the Council of State, as confirmed by official media on Tuesday.
The resignation comes after a strong public controversy triggered by the official's recent statements, during which, in a parliamentary session on Monday, she referred to homeless individuals as "disguised beggars," "drunks," and "pretenders." In her remarks, she also denied the existence of hunger on the island and blamed the citizens themselves for the rising poverty.
In a statement released on July 15, the Ministry "accepted" the resignation of the official. The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) explained that the resignation was submitted after a joint analysis involving the Party leadership, the Government, and the minister herself, who "acknowledged her mistakes."
“This request was submitted for consideration by the Political Bureau and the Council of State, where it was agreed to release her, due to the lack of objectivity and sensitivity with which she addressed issues that are currently central to political and governmental management,” states the note published by the official portal Cubadebate.
The government aims, with this decision, to mitigate the political and social damage caused by Feitó's statements, which sparked an unprecedented wave of outrage both domestically and internationally.
Even the Cuban leader, Miguel Díaz-Canel, made a statement this Tuesday during another parliamentary session, in which he delivered a message that —though not explicitly naming her— was clearly interpreted as a reprimand aimed at the official.
"None of us can act with arrogance, can act with overconfidence, disconnected from the realities that our people experience," the president stated.
The message added to the previous institutional silence and the subsequent attempt at damage control, following the removal of the most controversial segments of Feitó's speech from the official platforms.
The official's statements were widely rejected by intellectuals, activists, artists, and citizens, who denounced her lack of empathy and disregard for the most vulnerable sectors of society.
Marta Elena Feitó Cabrera had held the position since 2019.
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