A 92-year-old Cuban was filmed asking for coins on the street to pay for lunch at a dining hall, a scene that has touched thousands of people on social media and once again highlights the growing poverty affecting the elderly on the island.
The video was published on Facebook by Lizardo Bello González, who explained that the meeting happened casually while he was waiting for a friend.
"Even if it's just five pesos to go to the cafeteria to get lunch," the elderly woman pleaded as she approached.
"This is so the world can see how the situation is in Cuba, sir. So the world can see," says Bello González as he begins the recording, while showing the woman walking down the street with a yellow bag.
The elderly woman clarifies that she has never had to ask for help before and explains that, in addition to financial difficulties, she suffers from vision problems that limit her mobility.
"The thing is that I have poor eyesight and I can't cross the street," he comments. "Yes, for the cafeteria, whatever it is, because I've never asked," he adds.
Moved by the situation, Bello González handed over the 300 Cuban pesos he had with him.
"I can't give you more because I didn't have any more, you know? But it's three hundred pesos; at least you can buy a small pizza," he said.
The scene left him visibly affected.
"Ninety-two years old, look. On the street asking for help to eat. See? These are the things that break my heart," he expressed.
From a casual meeting to a solidarity initiative
Beyond documenting the situation, Bello González took the opportunity with the publication to promote a project aimed at assisting elderly individuals.
Every Friday at eight in the morning, he organizes a free breakfast for the elderly at a venue located at the intersection of 165th and 164th Streets, behind the María Fernández Polyclinic. His goal is to expand this assistance with the support of others.
"Help me help them, please, my people. With each little contribution, we can achieve this; let's see if we can at least guarantee them breakfast every day or at least three times a week. Our grandparents really need it," she wrote alongside the video.
A recurring problem throughout Cuba
The story of this woman is not an isolated incident.
In recent months, reports have increased of elderly individuals being forced to ask for help to feed themselves. In April, a video recorded in Bayamo showed another elderly woman requesting money in the street, while in May, neighbors assisted an elderly woman who had gone two days without eating.
The precarious situation of retirees is also reflected in the data from the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights, which indicates that 79% of people over 70 are unable to have three meals a day due to a lack of food or economic resources. Furthermore, eight out of ten Cubans over 61 claim that they often have to skip breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
The situation worsens because the minimum pension, set at 4,000 pesos per month since September 2025, is barely equivalent to a few dollars at the informal exchange rate and is insufficient to cover the cost of basic food.
In June, the provincial government of Granma acknowledged that it did not have the necessary resources to pay the pensions of over 111,000 retirees. This past weekend, the regime announced that small and medium-sized enterprises (mipymes) and other local businesses would participate in financing the pension system, a measure that highlights the state's difficulties in supporting more than 1.7 million retirees.
In the meantime, initiatives led by citizens and religious organizations have become a lifeline for many elderly individuals.
"To ensure that people like you no longer suffer from hunger or need, at the very least, they should have a secure breakfast to eat in the morning," summarized Bello González when explaining why he decided to help.
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