The doctor Álvaro Pérez Pérez, the only oncology specialist on the Isle of Youth, was fined 4,000 pesos while organizing a garage sale in front of his house, where he offered used clothing and brown-covered notebooks for 100 pesos each to supplement a salary that, in his own words, doesn't even cover his basic food needs.
The doctor reported the incident in a live video that went viral before being removed from his personal social media, accumulating over 242,000 views and more than 1,600 comments on Facebook.
"I am an oncology specialist, the only oncology specialist on the Isle of Youth. My salary is not enough for me to eat," the doctor declared in front of the camera, visibly outraged.
In the video, Pérez Pérez showcased his garage sale and explained the situation candidly: "Look here at the garage sale, where the only thing available is rags. Used rags are all I'm selling here."
According to his account, several inspectors arrived at the location and informed him of the penalty: "Now some inspectors come and tell me that because I'm selling notebooks for 100 pesos, they have to impose a fine of 4,000 pesos."
The doctor clarified that he decided to record the scene not to expose the officials, but to document reality: "It's so they can see, so they have another element of the crap that constitutes living here."
The fine amounts to half of your salary
"The salary is not enough to live on. I set up a stand selling used clothes and put a notebook for 100 pesos, and then the inspector comes and charges me half of what I earn in an entire month," Pérez said, indignant.
The case is set against the backdrop of a structural crisis in the Cuban medical sector. On the island, the base salary for a newly graduated doctor barely exceeds 5,060 pesos per month, about 10 dollars at the informal exchange rate, while the basic basket for two people exceeds 41,000 pesos.
In May, doctor Liliana Isabel Salazar Villariño left her profession, stating that her salary never reached 10,000 pesos even after working more than five shifts a month.
Starting in January 2025, inspectors will be compensated based on their results —the number and amount of fines imposed— a mechanism announced by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero in December 2024.
In the first quarter of that year, more than 425,000 fines were issued nationwide, generating over one billion pesos.
In April of last year, a complaint revealed that inspectors admitted to being required to issue fines even when the business had no actual violations, because "they are pressured to deliver results."
The reaction on social media was massive
Thousands of Cubans expressed their solidarity with the oncologist, and several proposed organizing a fundraiser to pay the fine. "I'm not from the Island and I never comment, but I believe that if we all help, we can pay his fine," wrote one user. Another added, "Please, don't stop working as an oncologist. The people of Isla de la Juventud need you."
A former colleague identified with the situation: "I am an intensive care doctor from the Isle of Youth, and thank God I defected." Another comment summed up the general sentiment: "We hurt each other. Then they say it's the fault of the blockade."
Isla de la Juventud has approximately 80,000 inhabitants and only one oncologist. Between 2021 and 2024, Cuba lost around 77,522 healthcare professionals due to emigration, and the number of doctors decreased from about 105,000 to 75,364.
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