The young Cuban Michel Duarte shared a video on his Instagram account showing him distributing food to elderly people living in poverty on the streets of Old Havana and Central Havana.
The material, which quickly went viral, shows the young man approaching elderly people who live in precarious conditions and offering them a full lunch.
While presenting the video, Duarte wrote a message to his followers: "Have you eaten? If you feel like you’re going through a tough time without minimizing your feelings, please watch this video and reconsider… With your support, we can continue this series and help those who you can see really need it."
The appeal called for both empathy and the possibility of continuing with this type of solidarity actions.
The images show how Duarte approaches the elderly, first asking them if they have eaten, and after receiving their response, hands them a bowl with rice, pork steak, and root vegetables, accompanied by a canned soda.
The reaction of those benefited is one of excitement and gratitude, highlighting the importance of receiving a hot meal for them.
The video depicts scenes of extreme poverty. Some of the elderly are sitting on the street begging for money, while at least one is seen searching for food scraps in the trash bins.
All show clear signs of precariousness and neglect, a reality that is increasingly common in the Cuban capital.
The food was purchased by Michel Duarte himself from a private restaurant, from where he left with the containers ready to distribute them directly on the street.
The gesture has generated thousands of reactions on social media, where users highlight both the act of solidarity and the harshness of the images.
Beyond the individual act, the video exposes an uncomfortable and increasingly visible reality in Cuba: the growing poverty and neglect affecting large segments of the population, particularly the elderly.
In a country marked by inflation and scarcity, securing a daily meal has become a challenge even for those with stable incomes.
Initiatives like those of Michel Duarte, along with others driven by small private businesses, religious communities, and ordinary citizens, have become the only opportunity for many to eat with a minimum of dignity.
These acts of charity highlight the void left by a State unable to ensure basic conditions of nutrition and welfare for its most vulnerable citizens.
The economic situation on the Island has worsened to the point where, without this kind of assistance, many people would have absolutely nothing to eat.
The scenes depicted in the video not only reflect solidarity, but also serve as an implicit condemnation of a deep crisis.
Old age in Cuba is increasingly experienced amidst deprivation, loneliness, and lack of protection.
Access to food has become a privilege, and gestures like offering a lunch take on a meaning that goes far beyond the symbolic, reminding us of how much the system has failed to protect those who can no longer fend for themselves.
The increase in the number of people living on the streets and the inability of thousands of families to afford even a modest meal are direct consequences of a prolonged economic crisis characterized by shortages, inflation, and inadequate salaries and pensions.
In this context, it is non-state actors who are taking on a role that should be guaranteed by the State.
Although these actions are moving and necessary, they also highlight the lack of effective public policies and a social protection system that truly works.
In a Cuba where begging is on the rise, these acts of solidarity not only provide nourishment to those who receive them but also quietly yet powerfully highlight the seriousness of the social situation facing the country.
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