By Kira Salm
In Cuba, the largest issue there is inequality. In Cuba, 70% of the workers in Cuba, work for the state, and are paid less than salaried workers even if in the past they would have been paid more. People like teachers, culture workers, and medical staff are being paid less than the people that work as salaried. 51% of people are on social assistance with 15% living in poverty. Many are near the poverty line, with the minimum wage being around 1/10 of what it should be due to the current high prices. People that were often seen as “white” would be more likely to receive remittance, money given as a gift.
In Cuba, there are also protests happening related to the economy, medicine shortages, the Cuban government response to COVID 19, and restrictions on the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Some of the people that attended those protests were arrested, particularly activists, artists and journalists, for not only days but months. They were charged with crimes that would silence them because they did not agree with Cuba’s government.
Overall, the protests about economic struggle, remittance, people working for the state, and social assistance ended up making Cuba have a large inequality issue, making people that work in salaried positions and high positions of power in the government greater than the people that do not.
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