Video appears to show Félix Savón collecting refuse; circumstances unconfirmed

Images shared on social media appear to show Félix Savón collecting food scraps or refuse in the street. The exact location, date and circumstances of the recording have not been verified.

The video has renewed questions about the circumstances of former Cuban sports figures after retirement. The images, however, do not establish that Savón was collecting refuse to eat, that he is homeless or that authorities abandoned him.

Savón won three Olympic gold medals, in Barcelona in 1992, Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney in 2000, as well as six senior world titles and one junior title. His sporting record stands alongside the sexual offense against a minor for which he was convicted and served about six years in prison.

The available information also does not establish his current financial situation or whether he receives family, institutional or other assistance. The circumstances surrounding the images remain unclear; an isolated scene is not enough to determine a person’s living conditions.