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The solidarity of thousands of Cubans turned a fine of 4,000 pesos into a collection of almost 300,000 pesos for Dr. Álvaro Pérez Pérez, the only oncologist on the Island of Youth, who was sanctioned by the regime on June 6 for holding a garage sale in front of his home to buy food.
The journalist Guillermo Rodríguez Sánchez («guilleperiodista»), based in Mexico, confirmed this Thursday that the amount was already approaching 300,000 pesos including bank transfers and cash brought directly to the physician's home, thus correcting his previous estimate of 200,000 pesos.
The case went viral after Dr. Pérez Pérez live-streamed the inspection that resulted in the fine, accumulating over 242,000 views before the video was removed from Facebook.
In that broadcast, the oncologist stated: "I am a specialist in oncology, the only oncology specialist on the Isle of Youth. My salary is not enough to eat."
Rodríguez Sánchez organized the campaign by publishing the bank card number and the doctor's phone number, and he went to bed at four in the morning, giving each donor the oncologist's details and personally thanking them.
The response exceeded all expectations: within a few hours, 100,000 pesos were reached, then 200,000, and the figure continued to grow.
Neighbors and colleagues from the Isle of Youth brought cash and food directly to his home: chickpeas, beans, spaghetti, toilet paper, soap, and toothpaste.
A rehabilitation physician from Granma wrote to Rodríguez to request the oncologist's card: "I would like to help you because I have been through difficult situations. It's not much, but it's a small contribution."
A Cuban doctor who emigrated to Germany also sent a monetary contribution.
Doctor Álvaro Pérez even refused to continue accepting donations, declining to provide his card number to some donors, according to screenshots shared by Rodríguez.
In a private message to the journalist, the oncologist humbly expressed his gratitude: "Thank you, Guille. It's truly the everyday people who appreciate a doctor's work here the most, but believe me, it's worth it for the people."
Regarding the amount raised, the doctor wrote: "As for the figure, it makes me very sad, but I can tell you that it exceeded the amount you set as a goal."
At the same time, due to the enormous impact on social media, the authorities issued an internal order to withdraw the fine without any apology to the doctor.
Rodríguez Sánchez explained it this way in his live broadcast: "They removed the fine yesterday, they didn’t apologize to him, no, nothing, simply came a mysterious directive that you know comes from above, instructing to remove the fine urgently."
The journalist summed up the paradox with a straightforward phrase: "They tried to screw him over, and what they did was solve a few minor problems for him."
The case highlights the dual crisis of the Cuban healthcare system: the average salary in the health sector is around 6,562 pesos per month, about 16 dollars at the informal exchange rate, while the basic basket for two people exceeds 41,000 pesos.
The inspecting body that penalized the oncologist has been operating since January 2025 under a results-based payment scheme announced by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero in December 2024, which encourages inspectors to issue as many fines as possible.
In April 2026, a report revealed that inspectors admitted they were required to impose fines even when the business had no actual violations.
Cuba lost more than 30,000 doctors between 2021 and 2024, decreasing from 106,131 to 75,364 physicians, and the Isle of Youth, with about 80,000 inhabitants, relies on just one oncologist.
Rodríguez Sánchez announced that he was concluding his campaign in support of Doctor Pérez Pérez and that he would move on to address another pending case in Ciego de Ávila, where people had also donated money.
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