The NTV in its prime-time broadcast shared on Facebook a report on the care for vulnerable individuals in which officials from Labor and Social Security acknowledge that the Cuban state does not have a sufficient budget to support all individuals in vulnerable situations, in a country where the demand for assistance grows every day and resources prove inadequate.
The report, conducted by journalist Thalía González, showcases the operation of the soup kitchen in the Plaza de la Revolución municipality in Havana, where elderly individuals—many of whom are alone and ill—come daily to receive food. The municipality has 34.6% of its population made up of elderly individuals, one of the highest rates in the country.
Official press acknowledges lack of resources in Cuba to support vulnerable individuals
"This budget is not a comprehensive budget that reaches all individuals; therefore, a study is conducted to identify the most vulnerable people," acknowledged an official from the Ministry of Labor and Social Security in front of the cameras of the National Television News.
The administrator of the Family Attention System (SAF) of the municipality revealed that every day, between seven and eight people request to join the system. The SAF, created in 1998, increased from serving 59,000 people in 2023 to around 67,000 by mid-2025, an 8% rise that reflects the sustained growth in demand.
The journalist herself acknowledged in the report that “care for vulnerable individuals remains an incomplete task, considering that the number of vulnerable individuals has been increasing, yet the resources available for distribution are still limited.” She added that “vulnerability in Cuba today encompasses a wide range of individuals”, making it difficult to reach them all.
Due to the state's inability, it is private actors who are filling part of the void. The senior dining facilities in Cuba survive thanks to donations from private companies and the cultural and sports sectors, which have become a daily support for these centers.
The scenario described by the official press is taking place at the worst economic moment for Cuba in decades. The economy of Cuba fell by 5% in 2025, accumulating a contraction of over 15% since 2020, according to the Center for Cuban Economic Studies (CEEC). The 39% of retirees receive the minimum pension of 1,528 Cuban pesos per month, equivalent to less than a dollar a day in the informal market, while covering the basic basket for two people in Havana required 24,351 pesos in December 2024, twelve times the minimum wage.
Cuba is the most aged country in Latin America, with 25.7% of its population over 60 years old, according to ONEI, and the massive emigration of young people has left thousands of elderly individuals living alone, without a familial support network. A beneficiary of the Plaza de la Revolución food pantry summarized it this way: “There are even times when there’s been a shortage of water, and they’ve had to go search for it.”
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