Cuba approves 176 reforms opening private sector as US sanctions tighten
Cuba’s National Assembly of People’s Power ratified a package of 176 economic reforms, the most extensive transformation in decades. The measures open private‑sector participation in areas previously reserved for the state, including pharmacies, fuel stations, ports, tourism services, agricultural activities, and small‑scale mining.
President Miguel Díaz‑Canel denounced a U.S. “collective suffocation plan,” citing executive orders from January and May 2026 that threaten sanctions on companies delivering hydrocarbons to the island. He warned that only one fuel vessel arrived in the past seven months, causing blackouts that removed more than 1,400 MW of generation and disrupting water, health, and agricultural services.
The reforms also include Decree 160/2026, which authorises private micro‑, small‑ and medium‑sized enterprises to run pharmacies from 4 August 2026, though pricing will be set by each pharmacy. Decree 164/2026 gives state enterprises autonomy to set salary scales based on performance, without a uniform wage increase for all workers. Analysts estimate the economy will contract by at least 6.5 % in 2025, with cumulative losses exceeding $150 billion attributed to the U.S. embargo.
Entities: Cuba · Elías Amor · Manuel Marrero Cruz · Miguel Díaz‑Canel · National Assembly of People's Power · United States · United States
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Cuba’s economy is projected to contract by at least 6.5 % in 2025, with cumulative losses over $150 billion due to the U.S. blockade. (Cuban economic estimates)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Decree 164/2026 allows state enterprises to set their own salary scales without a uniform wage increase. (Cuban government decree)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Cuba received only one fuel vessel in the past seven months, causing blackouts that removed over 1,400 MW of generation. (Cuban government)
- [● 2 SOURCES] President Miguel Díaz‑Canel denounced a U.S. “collective suffocation plan” and called the U.S. regime neofascist. (President Miguel Díaz‑Canel)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Decree 160/2026 authorises private pharmacies to operate from 4 August 2026. (Cuban government decree)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The reforms open private sector participation in pharmacies, fuel stations, ports, tourism, agriculture and small‑scale mining. (Cuban government reforms)
- [● 2 SOURCES] U.S. executive orders in January and May 2026 threaten sanctions on entities transporting hydrocarbons to Cuba. (U.S. executive orders)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Cuba's Parliament approved a package of 176 economic reforms. (Cuba's Parliament)