Habanos S.A. Confirms Prison Laborers Are Rolling Cuban Cigars

[SCgarman]

2 hours ago, bmac said:

I’m all for rehabilitation but somehow I feel this is exploitation. Habanos S.A. has positioned itself as a luxury item in the worldwide market and charging exorbitant prices on this premise. To have a captive workforce even if small produce their product is distasteful to me.

They were only dubbed "luxury items" after HSA doubled, tripled and quadrupled prices on their cigars. See how that works? 🤣 Now they are on par with Rolex, Hermes, and Lamborghini. I was done when the insane pricing set in. This crap is just icing on the cake. 

[Fugu]

16 hours ago, JohnS said:

I must say, I am quite taken aback by all this. I don't quite know what to make of it right now as this news is quite a surprise. 

As an analogy, I plan to visit the Lanson Champagne House in Reims, France in two weeks. If they tell me then that their product, produced since 1760 (so pre-dating the French Revolution) will now be made by convicted criminals, I wouldn't necessarily think that their Black Label will now be an improvement in comparison to what I've enjoyed in the past, that's for sure!

No offence, and not to destroy that slightly romanticised view on the wine industry, John, but having a closer look at labour conditions and accommodation of migrant seasonal harvest workers in European wine regions (I am not referring to this or any specific producer), might put this picture a bit into perspective.

[Fugu]

All that glisters is not gold. Whether cigars, wine, fine chocolate or rare earth minerals in our shiny smartphones…

Many of those sweating in the galera rolling our beloved smokes or pulling the oxen plow are not much better off than those inmates. They are all inmates of Cuba. I hope I am not misunderstood again, this is not to relativise things. What I want to transmit - today, there’s not much romantic about cigar production in Cuba, be it now with or without prisoners.

Sure, we don’t want our cigars be made by convicted criminals (what’s a “convicted criminal” anyway in the “rule of law state” of Cuba, I ask?). But let’s face it - they are in fact being made by exploiting some of the poorest people on this planet. And we know it. Which is why I find all the excitement about prisoner labour a tad bit hypocritical.

[smashed]

What if on the off chance this is actually a positive (albeit maybe slightly) thing and trying to reintroduce some work and pay for tasks to help once released with a little pocket money? Cuba and other countries have a lot of poverty and anything can help, this is just a fact. Now obviously if it's forced labor, long hours and they're not getting anything (which is a possibility) this is 100% not okay and pretty cut and dry 'slave' type situation. I mean in Cuba, SE Asia or another Caribbean or South American country, I've seen some pretty gruesome jail conditions that exist. Not saying it would make them set for life, but what if it wasn't entirely a slave type labor camp but actually something at least partially positive? A 'convicted' criminal will have a sentence regardless, perhaps rolling cigars is better than the alternative sitting in the jail yard and some of the other stuff that goes on? Even if long hours? For all we know, there could literally be prisoners *begging* to join this cigar rolling work camp as it's seen as better than what they currently have going on inside the walls.

Again, just putting in an alternative talking point. Obviously there's a stark contrast in the salary with the civilians, but that's to be expected, pay for tasks in American prisons don't pay the same as civilians either. If I'm not mistaken most prisons in America are $1 or less per hour. The double hour work thing definitely has me a bit conflicted though, as no AC, 15 hour day, that could be gruesome.

[Puros Y Vino]

2 hours ago, smashed said:

What if on the off chance this is actually a positive thing and trying to reintroduce some work and pay for tasks to help once released? 

Not playing devil's advocate here whatsoever, and I'm not on one side or the other but it seems the overwhelming majority is just shaming this beyond end. I mean in Cuba, or another Caribbean or South American country I've seen some pretty gruesome jail conditions via media coverage. Not saying it would make them set for life, but what if it wasn't entirely a slave type labor camp but actually something at least partially positive?

Again, not really on one side or the other here, just putting in an alternative talking point.

It can be seen like that but from what I've noticed. Prison isn't about rehabilitation and preparing an inmate for the eventual return to society. It's about punishment and vengeance porn for those who relish it. In the meantime, the state has this pool of exploitable labour they can tap into. In the US inmates are used for call centres, Dell famously got caught doing it. For cleanups along highways and maybe even the odd license plate stamping line. 😁 In Cuba, they're sat in front of a rolling table. Oddly enough, there's a good chance many have already been exposed to it. My Cuban friend recounts while in grade school a lot them got try-outs rolling cigars at a nearby factory. Kinda like AA cigar rolling prospects I guess. 

As Habanos is now in the "luxury business", it does tarnish the product knowing that inmates are rolling them. Not all of them, but they're part of the mix now. As many skilled tobacco trade workers left Cuba over the past 5+ years, I think they're left scrambling to replace them. And this was an option for them I guess. Now, whether it leads to reducing time spent and a job in a real factory on the outside is yet to be seen.

On a reddit post about the subject, someone was asking if the box codes for the inmate rolled cigars were known yet. I quipped it's "AUIDA MAY 2025"  22 upvotes so far! 😝

[yuppie]

3 hours ago, Puros Y Vino said:

On a reddit post about the subject, someone was asking if the box codes for the inmate rolled cigars were known yet. I quipped it's "AUIDA MAY 2025"  22 upvotes so far! 😝

That was you? Hilarious!

[Puros Y Vino]

13 hours ago, yuppie said:

That was you? Hilarious!

Yeah. Couldn't resist. (different UID though)

[LordAnubis]

Interesting strategy. I wonder what the motivation would be for the workers/inmates once they get out? Is the cigar industry hard to break into (no pun intended)? You’d think they’re taken in any walk ups to sit a desk and roll at this point? I wouldn’t think the conditions in the factory would be a great incentive for someone who just got out of the slammer to think “oh let me go use my skills at La Corona”. I’d bet an ex con would get out, start rolling their own beach specials and make more in a day than they’d get in a month at the factory. 

Maybe that’s the end game? Get a convict run fakes racket going to prop up the “authentication” and hence prices of the Habanos SA. 

I don't understand people being upset that prisoners are making cigars though. Not like iPhones, clothes, shoes etc are made in such upstanding conditions of human kindness. 

[tbelle7]

Kirby video "on location" incoming?

[Gubbins]

If experience is anything to go by, it will be the RyJ Mille Fleurs that they practise on. It will now be 25 plugged cigars instead of 24. Joking apart, I guess they will probably be tackling Piedra, maybe Quintero? Quite hard to plug a short filler, but similar rolling principles.

Which 2025 boxes are we supposing to avoid? 

[SCgarman]

Can you imagine the negative PR if Jorge Padron, Don Pepin Garcia or Carlito Fuente would receive if they were "employing" prison inmates to roll their cigars? There would be calls to boycott all their cigars, no doubt in my mind.

[El Presidente]

 

 

• The document also identified other prisons in Artemisa, Mayarí, Bayamo, Havana, Santiago de Cuba, and Villa Clara, where the same pattern is observed.
• estimates that 11.6 million cigars annually could come from prisons, representing 7.5% of the national production.

 

Well if Cuba is exporting 50 million cigars a year at the moment it would be a miracle. If the prisoners are even doing 8 million cigars a year then that would be 16% of production. Let's round it up to 20% for the sake of argument. 

 

Why do it?  

It's not like factory rollers wages (say 40 a month) are sending Tabacuba broke. 

However, using prisoners solves the problem of a disappearing workforce. Factory rollers cannot live in Cuba solely on their wage. Turnover of factory rollers is high. Prisoners are going nowhere and there are always new recruits.  Problem solved. 

 

Why announce it? 

Habanos/Tabacuba live by the code of "tell them nothing, take them nowhere".  It has been fascinating to see such a public response. 

One can only assume that they are scared shitless of a proposed product ban in the EU.

 

 

[JDoughty]

11 hours ago, Gubbins said:

 If experience is anything to go by, it will be the RyJ Mille Fleurs that they practise on. It will now be 25 plugged cigars instead of 24. Joking apart, I guess they will probably be tackling Piedra, maybe Quintero? Quite hard to plug a short filler, but similar rolling principles.

Which 2025 boxes are we supposing to avoid? 

I`m kinda thinking all of them at this point. I got disgusted and mostly quit buying CCs years ago after one box too many of plugged unsmokeables. Picked them back up again fairly recently, but will probably give up again with rare exceptions due to tariff issues and rising prices. Honestly a lot more excited to smoke the Bond Roberts #1, which substantially outperforms all but the greatest of aged CCs in flavor, rich generous smoke volume and complexity, and to try everything in the Fabrica 5 lineup. Which even ROTT have so far been outperforming my everyday CCs. There just keep being more and more reasons not to risk buying Cubans at this point. 

[yuppie]

3 hours ago, SCgarman said:

Can you imagine the negative PR if Jorge Padron, Don Pepin Garcia or Carlito Fuente would receive if they were "employing" prison inmates to roll their cigars? There would be calls to boycott all their cigars, no doubt in my mind.

Carlito used child labor for a while, no?

[ElLoboLoco]

7 hours ago, yuppie said:

Carlito used child labor for a while, no?

Did he? Can you share a link?

10 hours ago, JDoughty said:

I`m kinda thinking all of them at this point. I got disgusted and mostly quit buying CCs years ago after one box too many of plugged unsmokeables. Picked them back up again fairly recently, but will probably give up again with rare exceptions due to tariff issues and rising prices. Honestly a lot more excited to smoke the Bond Roberts #1, which substantially outperforms all but the greatest of aged CCs in flavor, rich generous smoke volume and complexity, and to try everything in the Fabrica 5 lineup. Which even ROTT have so far been outperforming my everyday CCs. There just keep being more and more reasons not to risk buying Cubans at this point. 

Right on bro. I like you got tired of the battle. My last box of Habanos I bought were Punch Punch and I pitched them. Plugged solid. That was it for me.

The last thing I want to do is babysit a cigar. Maxed out with overpriced and under delivering.

[Hoosh]

Is that The Imperial March I’m hearing in the background? 😉

[El Presidente]

5 hours ago, yuppie said:

Carlito used child labor for a while, no?

You will need to supply a source or face the regrettable consequences.

[Li Bai]

10 hours ago, El Presidente said:

Why announce it? 

Habanos/Tabacuba live by the code of "tell them nothing, take them nowhere".  It has been fascinating to see such a public response. 

One can only assume that they are scared shitless of a proposed product ban in the EU.

Could it be related to those rumours around Allied Cigars selling their share of HSA? Trying not to scare off the new investors before closing the deal?

I mean it would make sense for any other business but using "sense" and "Cuba" in the same sentence feels off.

[LizardGizmo]

The Prisoners Defenders NGO yesterday released a response to Habanos S.A.’s confirmation of the use of prison labor including a detail of specific international laws which they believe are being violated.

Here’s the direct link with multiple languages available: https://www.prisonersdefenders.org/2025/10/03/tabacuba-y-habanos-s-a-admiten-publicamente-el-uso-de-presos-para-la-elaboracion-de-cigarros-puros-destinados-a-la-exportacion/

Here’s the PDF in English:

EN CUBA Tabacuba and Habanos S.A. publicly admit to using prisoners to make cigars for export.pdf

[Capn_Jackson]

The article ends with... 

“the essential purpose of the program is training, and the production in these centers—which have the same resources and quality control standards as the factories—is symbolic.”

Same quality control. Sooo...Very little?

I hope this statement isn’t too distasteful. They’ve really gone from cheap and overworked labor, to enforced labor. Odd that they put this statement out, at all.

[Gemini_Man]

This essentially creates a for profit prison system, which is flat out abhorrent. Interesting how this communist nation freely adopts capitalist principles, wherein the motivation to incarcerate individuals is now driven by financial gain. Production numbers are slipping? Let's just add Jay walking to the mix of felony offenses and problem solved. To assume this system is of a benevolent nature to rehabilitate inmates is misguided. This is corporate/state run greed wrapped in the communist fabric of "misery is honor" and there is no alternative.

[JDoughty]

3 hours ago, Gemini_Man said:

This essentially creates a for profit prison system, which is flat out abhorrent. Interesting how this communist nation freely adopts capitalist principles, wherein the motivation to incarcerate individuals is now driven by financial gain. Production numbers are slipping? Let's just add Jay walking to the mix of felony offenses and problem solved. To assume this system is of a benevolent nature to rehabilitate inmates is misguided. This is corporate/state run greed wrapped in the communist fabric of "misery is honor" and there is no alternative.

That's exactly my concern. And Cuba has a history of jailing political dissidents, meaning that if they want more free labor to increase their profits, all they have to do is go knock down people's doors and say, "I heard you said a bad thing about Castro. Welcome to the slave labor crew, you start immediately and have job security for the rest of your life." 

[VeguerosMAN]

Quotes from the movie Ratatouille: "Anyone can cook".... "  

"Not everyone can become a great artist; but a great artist can come from anywhere".  

Therefore, "anyone can roll"... "Not everyone can become a great roller; but a great roller can come from anywhere" If a rat can cook better than professional cooks, I believe convicts can roll better than "professional" rollers!! 

[JDoughty]

9 hours ago, VeguerosMAN said:

Quotes from the movie Ratatouille: "Anyone can cook".... "  

"Not everyone can become a great artist; but a great artist can come from anywhere".  

Therefore, "anyone can roll"... "Not everyone can become a great roller; but a great roller can come from anywhere" If a rat can cook better than professional cooks, I believe convicts can roll better than "professional" rollers!! 

[JohnS]

On 10/3/2025 at 11:07 PM, Fugu said:

No offence, and not to destroy that slightly romanticised view on the wine industry, John, but having a closer look at labour conditions and accommodation of migrant seasonal harvest workers in European wine regions (I am not referring to this or any specific producer), might put this picture a bit into perspective.

No, none taken. And I cede your point on seasonal workers. I just didn't understand the need for Habanos S.A. to take this path initially, but I now understand that post-2020 (i.e. with the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic) Cuba has had a significant drain upon its labour resources (with people leaving the island) and they've been somewhat forced into this, as Rob has suggested above. 

Hence, we now see the consequences of years of inept governance. What a sad state of affairs.