Juan Luis Vasallo Palomo, known on social media as "El Quijote Bayamés," posted a video on Facebook in which he documents his encounter with an elderly woman asking for money on the streets of Bayamo, Granma province, around ten o'clock at night.
"Gentlemen, I've already encountered two or three elderly people today asking me for money. I also rely on the charity of some followers on social media, because my page doesn’t generate income. But well, with what you give me, I can also help others," Vasallo says at the beginning of the video.
The Bayamese activist titled the post "This is how many elderly people walk around the city. And what about the social workers?". It is a clear demand to the government, and the question encapsulates the frustration of many Cubans regarding the state's indifference to this reality.
The comments on the video reflect that the situation is not isolated. "Sad, poor people who are in that situation; their pensions are not enough for anything," wrote a follower.
Another user pointed out: "And not just asking for money, but food as well; I've helped several like that." A third person summarized the general feeling: "It’s a sad reality for our Cuba. God bless you, Vasallo."
The phenomenon of elderly people begging on the streets of Cuba is a documented and growing crisis.
The Cuban Observatory of Human Rights reports that 79% of those over seventy years old are unable to have three meals a day due to a lack of food or money in Cuba.
The Cuban social assistance system worsens the situation: of more than 1,774,310 retirees, only 67,000 receive care from the Family Care System, with a budget of just 14,600 dollars for 2026.
In Bayamo, extreme cases are documented: the elderly feeding on garbage at the city terminal and overwhelmed hospitals with elderly patients on the floor due to a lack of beds.
In February 2026, the regime authorized private companies and cooperatives to open nursing homes, an implicit recognition of the collapse of the state system that for decades promised to protect the elderly and failed to do so.
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