The situation of Juan, an elderly Cuban who resides in the town of La Gloria, in the Municipality of Campechuela, Granma, is a tragic testimony of the harsh reality faced by many of the most vulnerable citizens in Cuba.
Internet user Irma Broek reported on Facebook that Juan lives in inhumane conditions: He sleeps on yaguas in a ranch that threatens to collapse at any moment; The floor of their home is dirt, and it lacks basic furniture and utensils; Malnutrition is evident in his thin and weakened body, a reflection of almost zero nutrition.
She adds that despite living in such conditions, she has not received the protection she deserves, since several requests to enter a nursing home have been systematically denied by the government, the woman noted.
“Where are the authorities, isn’t this man a case of vulnerability and doesn’t need social assistance?” he questioned.
Juan’s situation is not an isolated case. Numerous reports and testimonies have revealed similar stories throughout the island, where elders and people in situation of extreme poverty They survive in deplorable conditions.
Several Internet users have reacted to the images and stated that Cuba, once seen as a bastion of hope and social justice, has become a concentration camp for many of its inhabitants.
“It is like those who were in the Nazi concentration camps. Cuba violating article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “No one shall be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” And then Mr. Canel says that In Cuba there is more democracy than in the United States, tremendous nerve and cynicism on that man’s part,” he stated.
“The vast majority of elderly and retired people in Cuba are malnourished; anyone who does not have a family member, friend or neighbor to hold their hand is exposed to dying from malnutrition and illness because if they cannot afford to buy food, much less to acquire medicines or pay for transportation to hospitals, in short, the abandonment is total,” said another Internet user.
Cuba is currently the poorest country in Latin Americaas indicated last year by the firm DatoWorld, a renowned international electoral observatory.
In 2023, the country had a 72% poverty rate, which has been growing, and that alarming number placed it at the forefront of the countries in the Latin American region, except for Haiti, which did not appear in the survey.
