Cuban President Díaz-Canel Announces Defense Boost and 2026 Economic Plan Amid US Pressure

Cuban President Miguel Díaz‑Canel addressed the press to outline a set of priorities aimed at overcoming the country's current difficulties. He blamed a "multidimensional aggression" by the United States for complicating daily life for Cubans and stressed the need for national resilience.

The first priority is strengthening defence, with the president describing an intensified territorial defence system and a "war of all the people" strategy. The second priority is the Economic and Social Programme for 2026, which was debated publicly last year. Díaz‑Canel said the plan incorporates proposals from experts, international consultations and artificial‑intelligence platforms, and draws lessons from socialist‑building experiences in China and Vietnam.