“Comprehensive Inspectors” in Cuba: Justice or Excess?
HAVANA TIMES – That day, Tania left for work early. For breakfast, she had a cup of coffee at my house. Three years of friendship have led us to share both abundance and scarcity. For months, she’s been cooking with charcoal when there’s no electricity—her gas cylinder ran out, and refilling it costs “an arm and a leg,” as we say in good Cuban.
Out of necessity, she started working at a kiosk as a vendor. Nearly fourteen straight hours for 800 pesos (around 2.20 USD). It’s not much, but that extra income helps her husband keep the household afloat.
If she had a crystal ball to see the future, she would’ve stayed home. But magic doesn’t exist—at least not for poor Cubans. She began her workday with deep under-eye circles after a dark, hot, mosquito-filled night.
The morning wore on with hardly any customers. That kiosk used to make pizzas and bread, which attracted many people. But that changed when a shortage of raw materials forced the owner to sell only sweets and drinks.
Tania moved to the back of the store, lit a cigarette, and began to smoke. When she saw two customers approaching, she threw it away. She had no idea they were what are called comprehensive inspectors—and they had seen the cigarette.
She was fined 36,000 CUP for smoking inside the establishment and for wearing a necklace. Yes, thirty-six thousand pesos.
Comprehensive inspectors are state employees tasked with ensuring rules are followed across multiple sectors: commerce, hygiene, pricing, transportation, services, and more. Their field of action is broad—and so is their authority.
Their role is to uphold order and legality. They detect irregularities and take action accordingly. They have the power to issue fines, confiscate goods, and deliver warnings. They’ve become increasingly active in Cubans’ daily lives, and their presence is often perceived as a threat.
Smoking in a workplace is prohibited by public health regulations. Fair enough. But a 36,000 pesos fine in a country where the average monthly salary is around 3,000 pesos is an abuse.
This raises several questions: To what extent are laws being applied with fairness and common sense? Who protects the citizen when the scale tips more toward punishment than guidance? Did that fine really fit the offense? Was there a prior warning? Were the circumstances considered?
I don’t intend to defend smoking where it’s prohibited; the issue is about questioning the balance between infraction and punishment. Fines should have a preventive and educational purpose, because when they turn into exaggerated penalties, all they generate is fear, resentment, and distrust.
Most Cubans don’t know their rights or the procedures to appeal such decisions. We knocked on many doors, some opened, others didn’t. Everyone told us the fine was excessive and that she had the right to appeal. Despite all our efforts, all we managed was a reduction to 18,000 pesos, still far too high for her income.
I agree that order and discipline are necessary, but so are proportionality and justice. It’s not the same as penalizing someone smoking while preparing food as it is someone who lights a cigarette in the back of a kiosk selling only packaged goods.
More and more stories are surfacing from people recounting similar experiences, excessive sanctions, unclear rules, and oversight that often feels like pressure.
The presence of comprehensive inspectors on the streets should not inspire fear. Their actions should protect citizens, not become a new face of abuse. Following the law is important; applying it with common sense and humanity is even more so.