Related videos:
Yadián Martínez, the main pitcher of the Huracanes de Mayabeque team, has been waiting for years for a home that provincial authorities promised him but never completed, according to a public complaint by sports journalist Pavel Otero on his page "Diga Usted Pavel Otero."
Six years ago, a plot of land was granted to him to build his house, but the photographs accompanying the publication show a structure made of concrete blocks with no roof, weeds growing inside, exposed iron rebar, and no doors or windows: a stalled project that is not progressing.
"Yadián was granted this land six years ago, and just look at how the future house is coming along in these photos. At this rate, Yadián will retire and still won’t have his home," Otero wrote.
The journalist pointed out that the players in the Serie Nacional earn only 3,500 pesos per month, one of the lowest salaries in the country, which makes them completely dependent on the State to meet basic needs such as housing.
Other provinces have already offered Yadián housing so he can transfer, recognizing his value as a pitcher, but he has chosen to remain loyal to Mayabeque.
"Offers for housing in other provinces of the country have even been made to him because they know he is a great pitcher. So, can it be done or not?" Otero questioned.
The journalist warned that "human patience has its limits" and that if Yadián decided to leave, it would be completely understandable, although so far the pitcher has relied on the promise made to him in his province.
The post generated a wide response on social media. One follower recounted that his son, a pitcher from Holguín since the age of 14, has also not received housing from the municipality or the province and is about to retire, despite having turned down offers from other provinces and not deserting while in the United States. "Only family members like us know the sacrifice they make," he wrote.
A doctor commented that he had to build his house with money from internationalist missions "because if he waited for the State to do it, he would still be living in a shack."
Another user pointed out, "If I were a leader, I would have had a house a long time ago. I've never known a leader with housing problems."
The case is part of a systemic housing crisis in Cuba that the Communist Party itself has acknowledged: the deficit exceeds 805,000 housing units according to the Ministry of Construction, with projections of 929,000 units by 2026.
In 2025, the island only completed 5,493 homes, which is just 51% of the planned target.
Otero also noted that the practice of offering housing to prominent athletes as an incentive for them to transfer has led to an internal migration of baseball players who leave their original teams, harming local fans. "In the end, it is the supporters of their team who pay the price, as they can no longer watch them play with the territory that shaped them as athletes."
In February 2025, the Cuban government announced a salary increase for the Elite League of an additional 5,000 pesos, bringing the total to 8,500 pesos per month, but the regular National Series continues with the same low salaries.
"We cannot allow ourselves to be lulled by hollow promises that will be fulfilled in 20 years or may never come to fruition. They deserve complete respect. If the public respects and admires them, the office leaders should do so as well," concluded Pavel Otero.
Filed under: