A listener from Santiago de Cuba reported the rise of poverty in the country. He shared his testimony in the second broadcast of the radio program "Criterio Compartido", which aired on Wednesday on Radio Rebelde nationwide.
The listener identified himself as L. H. Despaigne and described to Miguel Díaz-Canel a sad reality that is repeating across the island: “We see vulnerable people in the streets, in the trash, begging for alms, money, and food,” he said.
The Cuban believes that addressing extreme poverty in Cuba is "the most important task the party has from a political perspective at this moment," and warned that this segment of the population "is increasing more each day."
The space, which serves as a channel for citizen participation where the public can call in live, received 56 calls in this second edition, double that of its premiere on September 23. The comments go through a prior filter before reaching the air.
Díaz-Canel acknowledged the problem and attributed the crisis to the tightening of U.S. sanctions, the Special Period, and demographic aging, without addressing in his response the responsibilities of the current internal economic management.
He acknowledged the existence of "lamentable inequalities that have accumulated, which have caused some individuals, families, and communities to be at a disadvantage." He then stated that "this is not the humanistic calling of the revolution."
The leader reported that a recent evaluation identified "more than 800,000 people" in vulnerable situations in Cuba.
Díaz-Canel emphasized that the government maintains "over 32 social programs that address family issues in a differentiated manner" and suggested that party members, the CDR, the Federation of Cuban Women, and social workers collaborate within local councils to identify and support the most vulnerable.
In April, images of a man searching for food in dumpsters in Santiago de Cuba circulated widely on social media. In May, people begging at the Matanzas terminal were documented.
The Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz had already specified at the end of July that there are 876,522 vulnerable cases in the country, and on October 4, that number had risen to 883,000. This will be the number of beneficiaries of a new monthly food assistance program that the regime will provide, consisting of five pounds of rice, one of sugar, and one of grains.
Filed under: