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The government program Mesa Redonda aired a 2016 documentary about poverty in the United States this Friday, triggering a wave of criticism and mockery from Cubans both on and off the island, who pointed out the regime's hypocrisy in denouncing external shortcomings while Cuba is experiencing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
The program, announced by the also pro-government digital portal Cubadebate under the title "United States in Crisis: Workers Trapped in Poverty Despite Employment," is a documentary produced by Babel Press and directed by Hélène Eckmann that originally premiered in 2016 and tells the story of the so-called "working poor" in the United States, individuals who, despite having one or two jobs, struggle to meet their basic needs.
The reaction in the comments of the post on the Facebook page of Cubadebate was immediate and overwhelming.
"Wow, what a scare! I thought it was in Cuba, then I realized that in Cuba, workers, retirees, children, the sick, in short, everyone is trapped in poverty and much more," wrote Niriam Almeida.
Another user, identified as Oráculo de Delfos, summed up the irony in a single phrase: "Workers trapped in poverty despite having jobs... Ummm... That sounds familiar, but I can’t quite place it."
Ed Serrano was more direct in describing everyday life in Cuba. "Imagine leaving work and walking home; on the way, three people disguised as beggars ask you for money, but you don’t have any. You arrive home, drink some water, and there’s no electricity. You sit down to wait while reading Cubadebate on Facebook, and you see this news. Imagine earning just over 6,000 pesos, which is equivalent to two cartons of eggs... As a journalist, I would feel embarrassed to make a program talking about the United States," he asserted.
The comparison between both realities proved devastating for the official narrative.
The Cuban Observatory of Human Rights estimates that nearly 90% of the Cuban population lives in extreme poverty, with a monthly cost of living of 40,000 pesos compared to an average salary that does not reach 7,000 pesos.
The survey "In Cuba There is Hunger 2025" revealed that almost 34% of Cuban households reported that a member went to bed without eating in the past year, while in Matanzas Cubans ask for food daily at the kiosks at the bus terminal.
The pensions in Cuba last no more than a week and amount to less than 10 dollars a month at the informal exchange rate, according to recently collected testimonies.
Pablo M Rueda refuted the official narrative with his own experience. "Imagine if that is a lie, that more than half a million Cubans arrived here in 2022 with debts and with nothing to our names; in less than two years, we already had more than we ever had in Cuba," he said.
Alison Chanon was even more blunt. "If that's true, HOW F**KED UP IS CUBA that Cubans, knowing that life is like this in the United States, would rather risk their lives crossing seven borders to emigrate. OBVIOUSLY, IT'S NOT JUST THAT LIFE IS BAD IN CUBA; CUBA IS THE WORST HELL ON EARTH," she reasoned
The broadcast is part of a recurring propaganda strategy of the regime.
The chancellor Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla had already used the same tactic in December 2025, when he published data on poverty and child mortality in the United States and faced a wave of similar criticism.
Days ago, the pro-regime activist Brenda López stated on television that the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles is "much more critical" than what she has observed in Cuba, statements that contrast with data from the 2024 Census showing that the number of homeless people on the island has tripled.
The Cuban economist Andrés Martínez Ravelo publicly acknowledged on the television in the province of Cienfuegos that in Cuba "there is vulnerability, poverty, and begging", which contradicts the official narrative that the regime continues to be determined to export abroad while denying it internally.
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