A Cuban minister who sparked criticism after saying that there are no beggars in Cuba, only people disguised as such, resigned Tuesday.

Cuba’s Presidency said in a post on X that Minister of Labor and Social Security Marta Elena Feit� Cabrera �acknowledged her errors and submitted her resignation.�

Feit� made the comments Monday before deputies in a National Assembly committee. The comments went viral, prompting calls for Feit�’s impeachment and a wave of criticism in a country experiencing a tough economic situation in recent years.

Even Cuban President Miguel D�az-Canel was critical. Without mentioning her by name, but referring to the meeting at the National Assembly committee where Feit� participated, D�az-Canel said on his X account: �the lack of sensitivity in addressing vulnerability is highly questionable. The revolution cannot leave anyone behind; that is our motto, our militant responsibility.�

The economic crisis in Cuba has increased social vulnerability and led to unusual scenes for the island, such as people � especially the elderly � begging or scavenging through garbage, or some cleaning windshields at corners.

�We have seen people, apparently beggars, (but) when you look at their hands, look at the clothes these people are wearing, they are disguised as beggars, they are not beggars,” Feit� said before the National Assembly committee. “In Cuba there are no beggars.�

She added that people cleaning windshields use the money to �drink alcohol.�

Feit� also lashed out against those who search through the garbage dumps, saying they are recovering materials �to resell and not pay tax.�

Until a few years ago, despite the poverty, there were no signs of begging or homelessness on the island thanks to benefits that have now been greatly reduced.

The pension of a retiree is about 2,000 Cuban pesos per month, roughly $5 on the informal market, and just under the cost of a carton of eggs. For those who don�t receive remittances from family abroad, it means going hungry.

Self-employed Enrique Guill�n believes the minister is wrong and that some people do not see the situation clearly, and hopes the government will take action.

�They are elderly people who count on a pension that does not exist. They cannot even buy a carton of eggs. It is the reality we are living in Cuba,� Guill�n said.

On Monday, island authorities reported that Cuba’s gross domestic product fell by 1.1% in 2024, accumulating a decline of 11% over the past five years.

(AP)