Cuba launches digital social assistance via Soberanía platform

Cuba has introduced a digital pathway for requesting social assistance services through the Soberanía platform. This initiative, part of a broader economic and social transformation, aims to increase transparency in aid management by providing real-time updates on the registry of vulnerable individuals and families, while improving the traceability and control of various forms of assistance.

Users can initiate requests for themselves or for others through a computer or phone, reducing the need to travel to municipal offices. To use the service, citizens must possess a certified digital identity within the Soberanía system. According to Wilfredo González Vidal, director general of the Digital Government Center, over 51,300 people have already obtained this identity, though the adoption rate has been slower than desired due to process complexities.

Despite the digital shift, officials emphasize that social protection will not become exclusively digital. Belkis Delgado Cáceres, director of Social Assistance at the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, stated that the online service does not mean a loss of human contact. Citizens can still seek help through municipal labor offices, local social workers, family doctors, or community organizations.