Two videos released this week show Cuban children selling fruits and others pushing a wheelbarrow full of avocados through the streets of Havana, stating that they work to help their families amid the economic crisis.
One of the videos posted on Facebook by the activist Maykel Chapotín shows two children sitting on a mat in a park, offering avocados and mangos to passersby.
The second recording captures the moment when three minors push a wheelbarrow down a street in Havana. Far from being a game, the protagonists can be heard shouting the sale of avocados.
"My mom is at home sick, I do this to help her and buy things for school. My Cuba hurts," Chapotín emphasized in the post.
In one of the comments, Chapotín himself emphasized the response given by one of the children: "One of them tells me that his mom is sick and he has to help her."
His testimony summarizes a reality that is increasingly recurring in various provinces of the country, which the authorities continue to downplay despite the growing evidence.
The images shared by Chapotín provoked numerous reactions of outrage. "I believe we cannot lose sight of the fact that children deserve to experience their stages with the innocence and sweetness they are entitled to. It is not for them, under any circumstances, to bear the obligation of seeking sustenance for their families, no matter how critical the situation may be. Where are the parents who should be there? Nothing justifies child labor," argued a citizen in the comments.
The two videos surpassed 10,000 views and generated dozens of reactions on social media. However, the scenes do not represent an isolated case.
Since 2023, dozens of episodes have been documented of minors selling snacks, soft drinks, eggs, cookies, coconut candies, and other products in Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Camagüey, Sancti Spíritus, and other locations.
In most cases, the children themselves claim that they work to help sick mothers or families with insufficient income.
The most recent case occurred a few days ago when the activist Yureibys Torresilla bought the 38 sweets sold by Emmanuel, a boy from Sancti Spíritus who travels the streets selling the products made by his mother.
Previously, the story of Jordi emerged, a 11-year-old boy seen collecting cans in the early morning in Camagüey to help support his family.
The figures also reflect the worsening of the situation. The Cuban Conflict Observatory recorded 71 reports related to child labor and begging during 2025.
That same year, the government itself acknowledged that approximately 200,000 children and adolescents were in situations of vulnerability or risk.
Precarity also affects the nutrition and living conditions of children. The United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) reported in November 2025 that 9% of Cuban children were suffering from severe food insecurity.
In June, the Food Monitor Program warned that the food crisis in Cuba is pushing children and adolescents to take on survival tasks that belong to adults, socially disguised as mere "family help."
The increase in these cases contrasts with the current legislation. The Constitution, the Labor Code, and Law 178 of 2025 prohibit the employment of minors under 17 years of age. However, images circulating from various parts of the country reveal a reality that is becoming increasingly difficult to hide.
The contradiction reached one of its most visible points in June, when the Young Communists' Union stated, on the occasion of World Day Against Child Labor, that "thanks to the Revolution, child labor is not a reality in our country." The statement sparked an avalanche of testimonies and videos that showed precisely the opposite.
Even the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged the existence of the problem in April 2025, although he did not announce any structural measures to reverse it.
Meanwhile, the crisis continues to push more minors onto the streets, where they exchange study and playtime for work shifts to help support their families' survival.
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