An elderly man of 91 years who suffers from Parkinson's disease and polycythemia walks daily through the streets of the Zamorana neighborhood in Santiago de Cuba, asking for alms to be able to eat. His story was captured in a video published on Facebook by the dissident José Daniel Ferrer García, founder of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), and has touched the hearts of thousands of people both on and off the island.
The man lives alone on 20th Street, between 1st and 6th, in Zamorana. In addition to the tremors caused by Parkinson's, he bears the aftermath of an accident that shattered his foot and resulted in the amputation of a toe.
With 3,000 Cuban pesos in monthly pension —an amount that doesn't even reach the official minimum of 4,000 pesos set in September 2025— the elderly man cannot buy food.
"What you will achieve is what amounts to 3,000 pesos. Go shopping on the street and you'll see," he tells the activist with a calmness that is more eloquent than any protest.
The State offers a dining facility for retirees and people with disabilities, but what is served there is not enough for him. "That's not sufficient. And what they give you there is soupy water, split peas that are strained, and rice; all of that is tasteless. That's what I eat there," he describes.
Outside of that dining hall, his routine is to beg. "To ask for mercy out there on the street. To ask people, give me something for lunch. And people give me something for lunch. That's what I do. It’s every day," he recounts without drama, as if describing something perfectly normal.
When Ferrer García is asked if he believes in the government's promises to raise salaries, the response is clear: "I don't believe in anything. I can't believe."
The most heartbreaking phrase comes at the end of the conversation: "Sometimes one wishes they were more dead than alive... We're struggling without food and without anything. Do you understand me? This is Cuba; this isn't a movie story. This is real."
Ferrer García, who remained active in 2026 documenting these situations from Santiago de Cuba, summarized what the video shows in straightforward words: "This is the reality that many elderly people live today in Cuba, 91 years old. They are on the street begging for alms to be able to put something to eat in their mouths. It is a reality in Cuba."
As he bid farewell to the elderly man, the activist handed him money to buy food. The man expressed his gratitude and continued on his way, walking slowly in the shade of the streets of Zamorana.
The case of this elderly man is not an exception. According to the collapse of the Cuban social assistance system documented in April, 51 municipalities in the country completely lack elderly care services, and the 156 existing nursing homes provide only a total of 12,697 beds for the entire national territory.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Security admitted in March 2026 that "there are no resources to assist vulnerable people," a confession that stands in stark contrast to decades of propaganda about the supposed social achievements of the Revolution.
The dimension of the problem is structural. Cuba is the most aged country in Latin America: 26.7% of its population—about 2.5 million people—is 60 years old or older, according to the National Office of Statistics and Information.
In 2025, deaths (136,214) nearly doubled births (68,064). The massive emigration of young people has left thousands of elderly without a family support network, while the humanitarian crisis affecting the elderly deepens without a state response.
A survey conducted by the Independent Trade Union Association of Cuba among 506 retirees in five provinces revealed that 99% believe their pension does not cover food, housing, and medication, and that 98.8% feel institutional neglect.
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