Roberto Perdomo reveals why he does not leave Cuba: "My retirement doesn't allow me to go see my grandson."

Roberto PerdomoPhoto © Facebook La Familia Cubana

The Cuban actor Roberto Perdomo confessed that he receives only 6,000 pesos per month in retirement, and that amount is not enough to buy a plane ticket to meet his grandson Leo, who was born on April 17, 2025, abroad.

The revelation was made in an interview for the Familia Cubana TV channel, published in late July.

With decades of experience behind him, over 13 years portraying Lieutenant Colonel Fernando in the police series "Tras la Huella," and recent appearances in the telenovela "Regreso al Corazón," Perdomo retired just a few months ago and receives a pension that he himself described as offensive.

"I've already retired. Do you know how much I receive? 6,000 pesos. They say that in 2021, they invented a law where it was no longer based on what I used to earn, but on something I don’t understand," the actor explained, visibly upset.

To illustrate the purchasing power of that amount, he resorted to a striking example: "Just four days ago, I bought 10 eggs for 1,000 pesos. I have 4,000 left."

When asked why he does not emigrate, Perdomo was straightforward: "I can leave whenever I want, what I don't have is money. My retirement doesn't cover the cost of a ticket to go see my grandson."

He added that he also doesn't want to become a burden to anyone. "I have to see where I land, how I land, on which side I land on my body, and what I'm going to do. I'm not going to be a nuisance to anyone, nor am I going to be a burden to anyone."

His ex-partner Daisy asked him for a divorce to emigrate after 12 years of relationship, a separation that the actor described as one of the "harmful consequences of this entire Cuban story" that tears apart families, marriages, and children.

Perdomo lived in Spain from 1995 for seven years with his partner Mercedes, who passed away there. That loss plunged him into a deep depression and led to alcoholism, from which he managed to recover before returning to Cuba in 2002, where he resumed his career vigorously on television.

The losses didn't stop there. His sister died in Spain on Mother's Day in 2025, a victim of cancer, and Perdomo was also unable to say goodbye to her due to a lack of resources to travel.

In July 2026, he had already reported that salaries in theater do not even cover transportation. His case reflects the widespread precariousness of Cuban retirees, whose pensions in 2026 amount to only a few dollars at the informal exchange rate.

Filed under:

CiberCuba Editorial Team

A team of journalists committed to reporting on Cuban current affairs and topics of global interest. At CiberCuba, we work to deliver truthful news and critical analysis.