He was confined to a wheelchair with only one leg while the other was swollen in the heat and humidity of Cuban air.
In Cuba there is disability pay, which was part of changes in the laws dealing with such between 1963 and 1964.
Employers pay up to 14.5% of gross payroll into a special fund that covers sickness, maternity and disability benefits.
To receive social assistance due to a disability, the person must meet qualifying conditions that prove that person cannot work a regular job as others are able to do so.
In the small white paper bag he had about 5 cigars. I handed him the equivalent of about $1.00 in America and he wanted so badly to give me a cigar as a way of saying thank you, but he settled for a handshake instead.
Another disabled person I came across in Cuba was injured as a teen when he dove into waters that were too shallow. The teen, who is now an adult, was paralyzed and sits in a wheelchair day in and day out while living with family in a small village about 2.5 hours from Havana.