In a deeply unsettling incident in Matanzas, a Cuban mother took to social media to express her outrage after her wheelchair-bound daughter was refused entry to an MLC store. Yunaidy Pérez Hernández shared her distressing experience on Facebook, emphasizing the unfortunate reality of what had transpired.
“Yesterday afternoon, December 23, my daughters, stepdaughter, and I planned to explore the city of Matanzas, including the beloved MLC stores,” Pérez recounted. The discriminatory episode took place at the store located in Plaza de Ayón and Milanés. Pérez adhered to the store's policy by handing over her bag, yet they were halted by a man she identified as the store's security guard.
“He told me my daughter couldn’t enter the store in her wheelchair,” Pérez recounted. Stunned and emotional, she explained that her daughter is unable to walk without her wheelchair. The guard, however, insisted that the "chair" had to stay outside and suggested someone should watch the girl while they shopped.
With a heavy heart and tears in her eyes, Pérez described waiting outside as her stepdaughter proceeded with the shopping. Her daughter repeatedly asked, "Mom, when are we going in?" The mother's anger and frustration were palpable: “That rude, insensitive man ruined my day and my daughter's,” she lamented.
Pérez questioned the logic behind barring a child in a wheelchair from entering the store. “Simply checking the chair upon exiting could have resolved any theft concerns,” she argued, highlighting another instance of treating people as criminals in MLC stores.
“We live in a country full of architectural barriers, not just physical ones but mental ones too, and it’s tough,” Pérez observed, criticizing the Cuban regime’s purported inclusion policies. She urged for action against the discriminatory behavior exhibited by the state employee at the Matanzas store.
“Where can I file a complaint? I refuse to stand by as my daughter, or anyone else, endures a similar situation,” she asserted. This is not an isolated incident of discrimination in state-run facilities. In August, a Cuban tourist couple was turned away from Holguín's Hotel Gran Muthu Almirante Beach due to a 20-year age difference between them.
The bizarre situation was brought to light by the 31-year-old woman, who recorded a video at the hotel’s front desk, protesting the violation of her rights.
Addressing Discrimination in Cuban MLC Stores
What happened to Yunaidy Pérez Hernández's daughter in Matanzas?
Yunaidy Pérez Hernández's daughter, who uses a wheelchair, was denied entry to an MLC store in Matanzas by a security guard, who insisted that the wheelchair must remain outside.
How did Pérez react to the discrimination against her daughter?
Pérez expressed her outrage and frustration on social media, questioning the discriminatory treatment and seeking ways to file a complaint against the store's employee.
Is this incident an isolated case of discrimination in Cuba?
No, this is not an isolated case. Similar incidents have occurred, such as a Cuban tourist couple being denied entry to a hotel due to an age difference.