Santiago Mother Exposes Corruption in Aid Distribution for Children and Elderly: "This is Theft"

A mother from Santiago has publicly accused officials of corruption and misappropriation of donations meant for vulnerable children and elderly residents in Santiago de Cuba. She claims that aid packages are not reaching all intended recipients, with some resources allegedly being diverted by government officials and social workers.

Through a video posted on Facebook, Yurisleidis Remedios voiced her concerns after discussing the issue with Marina, her local People's Power delegate. Remedios inquired about the distribution of food packages for children and seniors over 65 but found that donations were only being given to children between 0 and 4 years old, excluding older minors.

“Can someone explain how a newborn eats peas or rice? It's absurd, yet children over five are left to starve,” she argued.

In her accusation, Remedios asserted that by excluding children over four, “the government is stealing food” from them, labeling the situation as “child theft.”

“The government is stealing food and donations from these children, enriching itself while the people remain impoverished and starving,” she declared, directing her blame at the Cuban government, which she referred to as a “tyranny” and “piranha,” alongside the “Castro-Canel henchmen.”

Remedios insisted that all children should enjoy equal rights, regardless of age. “When we talk about children, they are all children, whether they are 13 or 14 years old, and they deserve the same rights,” she emphasized, before delivering a powerful message: “We say no to theft, no to corruption, no to genocide, no to this government.”

She vowed to continue exposing similar issues that prompted her to create the video.

Allegations of Misallocation

In another part of her message, the mother highlighted why, in her opinion, donations are not reaching those in need. She blamed the social assistance structures managing the distribution, describing them as “Alibaba and the fifty thousand thieves in Social Assistance.”

She recounted a specific instance involving a supposed teacher mobilized by social workers to distribute multi-purpose pots, rice cookers, and induction stoves to “vulnerable cases.”

According to Remedios, this woman boasted about keeping several items for herself. “She bragged about keeping three multi-purpose pots, three rice cookers, and two induction stoves, even giving one of each to her mother,” Remedios explained, adding that she sought the teacher's name to publicly identify her.

Based on this example, Remedios questioned whether the Director of Social Assistance in Santiago de Cuba was aware or also benefitted from these items. “I want to know if the Director of Social Assistance in Santiago de Cuba was ignorant of this or if she also lined her pockets, or if her home is filled with more than three of these items,” she queried, pondering the extent of this appropriation chain.

Personal Struggles and Systemic Criticism

Remedios, who is a mother of triplets and reliant on government assistance, claims she has not received the items she is entitled to. She mentioned being labeled as “assisted mother, but entirely salaried,” having complained to the government about her situation. “I have called the government saying if I have a gas cycle every 15 days and they refuse to provide it, then I need an induction stove, I need my pots,” she recounted.

The response, she claims, has been, “We don’t have any at the moment,” while she is aware of cases, such as the mobilized teacher, where similar items were allegedly retained improperly.

She further alleged that on one occasion, she was made to sign a document that claimed she received clothes, shoes, and backpacks for each of her children, but in reality, she only received the backpacks. “I want to know in which social worker’s house I should search for the items that were stolen from me, because I signed a paper saying clothes, shoes, and backpack, and I only got the backpacks for each child. Where did the clothes and shoes go? Into each of their pockets, because they are shameless,” she charged.

In her message, she directly blamed the Social Assistance structures and social workers for exploiting the most vulnerable. “Starting with your president and ending with you, Social Assistance, social workers, you are all thieves, sucking the life out of Cuba, and until you leave us without breath and soul, you won't abandon this country. You continue to enrich yourselves daily at the expense of the people,” she accused, describing them as part of the elite keeping the population “hungry and needy.”

Remedios' complaints join other voices from various provinces questioning the transparency and management of donations sent to Cuba following natural disasters or during crises, as well as the administration of aid to needy families.

In her case, the Santiago mother concluded her statement with an open political call: “Homeland and Life, and we want a change of system… That's all I have to say today. Homeland and Life,” she emphasized, making it clear that her grievances extend beyond the management of donations to the governmental model that, in her view, enables and perpetuates these practices.