Cuba's Economic Reform Package Sparks Leftist Criticism Over Capitalism and Nepotism

The Cuban government approved a rapid package of 176 measures aimed at liberalising and decentralising the economy, describing the reforms as urgent and necessary while denying any abandonment of socialism. Critics on the island’s left—including militant party members, alternative media such as Punto y Aparte, and youth communist leader Alejandro Sánchez—argue the reforms risk a return to pure capitalism, increase inequality and lack popular debate.

The package also raised controversy over the public role of Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, the grandson and former guard of ex‑president Raúl Castro, who has been used as an interlocutor in contacts with the United States. Internal party reports say the measures exceed historically acceptable limits, prompting calls for broader citizen participation and scrutiny of the reforms’ implementation.