An activist from Santiago de Cuba is calling for solidarity and awareness regarding the harsh reality faced by elderly individuals who wander the streets in dire poverty, largely forgotten by society. On Thursday, Yasser Sosa Tamayo posted a series of photos on Facebook, exposing the grim conditions of these abandoned seniors, left without homes or pensions, their lives now reduced to mere shadows of their former selves.
Sosa described how these homeless individuals sleep in corridors and bus stops, wearing tattered clothes, suffering untreated illnesses, and surviving on alms, enduring hunger, cold, and invisibility amid widespread indifference. "Perhaps they were professionals or internationalists, people who contributed much to a country that now leaves them on the brink of neglect," he reflected, emphasizing the neglect faced by many elderly across the island.
While some of these seniors are entirely homeless, the images also depict others who, despite having homes and families, live in extreme poverty and require assistance. In his post, Sosa expressed gratitude to those who have already extended help and urged more people to join in, highlighting that every act of kindness can change the lives of these destitute seniors.
Sosa provided a contact number, +5351239208, for those willing to help. Recently, he reported on social media about finding a child scavenging for food in a trash bin on a street corner in Santiago de Cuba. He noted that the child, seemingly suffering from mental issues, lived in Micro 8 with his alcoholic father.
On another occasion, the young activist distributed snacks to the city's most needy, demonstrating his humanitarian spirit. The issue of homelessness in Cuba is no longer something the government can hide as it did in the past. Year-to-year statistics indicate a significant rise in extreme poverty on the island.
According to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, Cuba has recorded 3,690 homeless individuals between 2014 and 2023, as reported by the state-run newspaper Trabajadores. In June, the regime under Miguel Díaz-Canel approved a plan to remove homeless people from the streets, tasking Municipal Administration Councils with their care and oversight.