The content creator Yenisey Moreno, hailing from the Isle of Youth, posted a video in which she reacts with indignation to the 4,000 peso fine imposed on the only oncologist in that territory, Dr. Álvaro Pérez Pérez, for organizing a garage sale in his own home.
"I don't like creating this kind of content because I prefer to share positive messages and entrepreneurial advice, but the outrage generated by this case has been so great that I can't remain silent," says Moreno at the beginning of the video.
The case of Dr. Pérez Pérez went viral last Saturday when the doctor himself reported that inspectors fined him while he was selling brown-covered notebooks for 100 pesos each and used clothing for between 300 and 400 pesos. The fine amounts to approximately half of his monthly salary.
Moreno, who claims to have personally experienced the abuses of inspectors for years on the Isle of Youth, poses a question that summarizes the outrage of thousands: "At what point did selling some belongings to survive become a more serious crime than all the real problems our country faces?"
The content creator highlights the underlying contradiction: a professional who has studied for years, dedicating their life to saving others, has to seek alternative sources of income because the medical salary in Cuba is not enough to live on.
The average salary in the healthcare sector in Cuba is around 6,562 pesos per month, equivalent to about 16 dollars at the informal exchange rate, while the basic basket for two people exceeds 41,000 pesos.
"Why aren't those efforts focused on combating crime, corruption, or the issues that truly affect the population? Why go after those who are trying to survive?" asks Moreno in the video.
The case arises within the framework of an inspection system that, starting in January 2025, compensates inspectors based on the number and amount of fines they impose, a scheme announced by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero in December 2024. In April of this year, inspectors openly acknowledged that they were required to impose fines even if the business had no actual violations.
Moreno connects this case to the exodus of professionals in Cuba: "Then they ask us why there is so much emigration. Why do so many professionals leave their jobs or decide to leave the country? The answer lies in situations like this: abuse, persecution, lack of recognition, and a constant struggle to survive."
Between 2021 and 2024, Cuba lost approximately 77,522 healthcare professionals due to emigration, and the number of doctors fell from about 106,131 to 75,364. In May of this year, a Cuban specialist doctor left the profession, stating that even after doing more than five shifts a month, she could not earn 10,000 pesos.
The reaction on social media to the oncologist's case was immediate, with hundreds of Cubans expressing their solidarity. One user summed up the general sentiment: "Shame on the country that barely has any doctors, and those few that exist are made to struggle."
Moreno closed his video with a statement that encapsulates the complaint: "What should be a reason for support ends up becoming a reason for punishment, and that is simply unjust."
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