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Cuba is a country marked by blackouts, shortages, and precariousness, where receiving retirement benefits has become a true ordeal for millions of elderly people.
The scene repeats itself every month, with long lines from dawn, elderly people standing for hours, and a constant uncertainty about whether they will be able to collect their pension. Meanwhile, the official discourse emphasizes the "commitment to service" and the "resilience" of the banking system.
The Banco Metropolitano (BANMET) recently stated that, despite the disconnection from the National Electroenergetic System, it managed to keep nearly 50% of its branches in Havana operational by implementing manual payments and relying on photovoltaic systems.
However, for retirees, these measures are far from sufficient. The lack of electricity, the instability of the systems, and the cash shortage turn each pension payment day into a physical and emotional trial.
"Without electricity, it's impossible," summarized a user on social media. Others describe even more dramatic situations: elderly people calling since three in the morning, individuals waiting all day in line without being able to cash out, and episodes of fainting due to exhaustion and lack of food.
Even in places where there is electricity, the process does not improve significantly. "It's a nightmare to get paid", noted another comment, reflecting a widespread experience in several provinces of the country.
A recurring complaint is that retirees only have a few days a month to withdraw cash, while the rest of the population can access cash at any time. This creates additional pressure on an already collapsed system.
The drama does not end with receiving the money. Pensions in Cuba are insufficient to cover basic needs. The amount of a pension is barely enough to buy a liter of oil in the informal market, leaving the elderly in a situation of vulnerability and extreme poverty.
Amid this landscape, the gap between official rhetoric and everyday reality becomes increasingly evident.
Cuban senior citizens have devoted their lives to working within a socialist system that abandoned them as they aged, leaving them without guarantees, impoverished, and without social support.
The age of professional retirement not only involves facing emotional challenges, economic and physical limitations, but also learning to survive on a pension that fails to ensure the most basic necessities, with the fear that, on some days, they may not even be able to access their own money.
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