The Cuban actor Roberto Perdomo received an emotional surprise last Friday while he was in the middle of an interview on the podcast Everybody Talks from the channel Cubamastv. He was handed an envelope containing a collective fundraising amount of $1,531, contributed by 63 people.
The initiative started from Amarilis Núñez, actress and director of the channel, following the flood of comments generated by a previous interview in which Perdomo candidly discussed the precarious situation in which he lives, relying on his pension.
The money was handed over before the cameras, with the actor visibly moved. The envelope also contained a list of the names of the people who donated. The interview, published on YouTube, has garnered over 77,000 views.
The situation of the actor had moved thousands of Cubans both on the island and abroad. In statements made in mid-August, Perdomo revealed that his pension is only 6,000 pesos per month, an amount he himself described as "offensive."
He explained that with that income, he couldn't save up to buy a plane ticket to meet his grandson Leo, who was born in Spain in April 2025. "I can leave whenever I want; what I don't have is money," he said.
Perdomo is a Spanish citizen. However, the crisis is keeping him in Cuba, and he also could not say goodbye to his sister, who passed away from cancer in Spain on Mother's Day in 2025.
In July, the actor explained that he left the theater because his entire salary went to transportation: about 4,000 pesos per month, which did not cover the transportation costs.
Upon receiving the envelope with the money, Perdomo could not contain his emotion. "A lifetime is not enough to express my gratitude for the things I have read, how they have addressed me, the wonders that have been written to me," he said.
Regarding the donation, he added: "It gives me courage, it gives me hope, it gives me confidence, it lifts me up. I was about to lose my enthusiasm for humanity."
The actor, known for more than 13 years portraying Lieutenant Colonel Fernando in the police series «Tras la Huella», especially thanked those who have responded with such generosity, stating, "I am amazed to see how people who do not live in Cuba, who I have never shaken hands with, are capable of such a gesture."
In the program, there was a second surprise. Perdomo received an offer to participate as a guest actor in «La Cafetera», a new comedy series from Cubamastv. The production will consist of 20 episodes of 10-minute sketches and a fixed cast that includes Rigoberto Ferrera, Ángel Ramis, Ladies Díaz, and the channel's own director.
The case of Perdomo reflects the situation of thousands of retired Cubans whose pensions—ranging from 4,000 to 6,000 pesos per month—amount to between seven and ten dollars, an insufficient sum to cover basic needs amid persistent inflation.
In that context, the solidarity response of Cubans became, in their own words, a proof that "there are still lovely human beings, there are still human beings who are sensitive."
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