A video shared on Facebook by Juan Luis Vasallo Palomo, known as "El Quijote Bayamés," highlights the plight of a retired Cuban who, at the time of filming, had not yet received his pension and was out of money for food.
Vasallo Palomo visited him in his modest home, offering some financial assistance. "What's the point of working for the state if the salary is insufficient, and when you retire, you're left high and dry unless someone helps you out?"
In the clip, the elderly man expresses gratitude for the monetary aid and mentions that he plans to buy food with it: "Thank you so much, my son. They haven't even paid where I collect my pension yet. I didn't have enough to buy today's rice."
Comments on the video reveal a mix of outrage and resignation. "Today, retirees are the ones suffering the most in Cuba," one viewer noted. Another added, "This is the reality for most of us retirees who don't receive foreign aid."
Another commenter was blunt: "It's a disgrace as a society that those who built the foundations of this nation, who fought and dedicated themselves, are abandoned, unable to collect their pensions, and these pensions are a joke, barely enough for a liter of oil."
The heart-wrenching scene captures in less than a minute what over 1.7 million retirees in Cuba face: pensions that barely cover the bare necessities and chronic payment delays.
Since September 2025, the minimum pension in Cuba is 4,000 pesos monthly, which equates to just seven to ten dollars on the informal exchange market, covering only a small portion of the basic food basket estimated to cost between 12,000 and 30,000 pesos per person.
Economist Javier Pérez Capdevila estimated that an individual requires about 96,060 pesos per month to meet basic needs, with 70,070 pesos solely for food.
According to a survey by the Independent Trade Union Association of Cuba, 99% of retirees surveyed said their pension doesn't cover food, housing, and medicine, and 90.7% of retirees work informally to survive. Moreover, 79% of those over 70 cannot manage three meals a day.
The collapse of the banking system exacerbates the crisis. The monthly ordeal for Cuban seniors to collect their pensions involves endless lines, offices without electricity, and apathetic staff directing them to return another time.
In June, the Granma government acknowledged a shortfall of over 400 million pesos needed to pay its 111,000 retirees. By August, pensioners in Holguín were again left unpaid as funds failed to reach banks and post offices.
Cuba holds the distinction of being the most aged country in Latin America: by the end of 2025, 26.7% of its population was aged 60 or older, totaling over 2.5 million individuals in this age group.
Understanding the Plight of Cuban Retirees
Why are Cuban pensions insufficient?
Cuban pensions are insufficient because they are set at a minimum of 4,000 pesos monthly, which equates to only seven to ten dollars on the informal market, far below the estimated cost of the basic food basket needed for survival.
How does the banking system affect pension payments in Cuba?
The banking system's collapse leads to significant delays and complications in pension payments, with retirees facing long queues, lack of electricity in offices, and unhelpful staff, making it difficult to collect their pensions each month.
What percentage of Cuban retirees work informally to make ends meet?
Approximately 90.7% of Cuban retirees engage in informal work to supplement their inadequate pensions and cover basic living expenses.