[REVISION HISTORY]

Cuba implements economic and structural reforms amid crisis

Updated 34 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-12 22:14 UTC → 2026-09-13 07:46 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Following the ratification of a 176-measure reform package in late July 2026, Cuba has expanded its economic shifts to include over 200 measures. These updates aim to relax government control by allowing market forces to determine prices, eliminating the state monopoly on foreign trade, and opening the finance sector to private banks. New provisions also allow farmers to import fuel and export products independently, while extending land use rights for foreign investment to 99 years. Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz has defended these changes, describing them as ‘100 percent Cuban measures’ intended to integrate the nation into the global economy with sovereignty. President Miguel Díaz-Canel has continued to push these reforms, noting that 76.1% of the measures now have legal backing. However, Díaz-Canel also described diplomatic dialogue with the United States as ‘stalled,’ citing a lack of progress. In September 2026, legislative efforts intensified to achieve food sovereignty through a comprehensive set of 19 new regulations. Under Law 185/2026, the state maintains land ownership but significantly expands usufruct rights for individuals, state entities, private companies, and mixed enterprises. To improve market dynamics, Decree-Law 161/2026 eliminates mandatory state intermediaries, while Decree-Law 121/2026 grants agricultural cooperatives expanded autonomy in banking and foreign commerce. Amidst these shifts, Cuba’s First Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, Carlos Luis Jorge Méndez, rejected reports that the United States offered energy sector assistance contingent upon regime change. Speaking ahead of By mid-September, the ~~BRICS summit in New Delhi, Méndez stated~~ government announced that ~~Cuba will not alter its political system to secure an end to~~ 88% of the ~~blockade, clarifying that internal~~ initial 176 economic reforms ~~are driven by ‘domestic necessity rather~~ have received legal backing, with 155 measures focused on liberalization and decentralization. Additional legislative efforts include allowing private companies to employ more than ~~external pressure.’ Despite~~ 100 workers, permitting investments by Cubans living abroad, and enabling private companies to hold foreign currency accounts for international payments. Furthermore, the Ministry of Public Health is evaluating approximately 36 projects to establish private pharmacies across the island. Amidst these ~~legislative moves,~~ shifts, skepticism is growing regarding the government’s ‘transformations.’

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