On this day — the 181st anniversary of Antonio Maceo’s birth and the 98th anniversary of Che Guevara’s, please miss me with the defeatism and hand-wringing about Cuba recently economic policy changes announced by President Miguel Díaz-Canal on Friday.
There are challenges to be sure, but we — and most certainly those of residing in the “West’s” imperialist nations — must take a principled and materially-grounded stance that understands both the current situation of economic asphyxiation and the historical trajectory of Cuba’s economic and democratic policy transformations. Most importantly, that since 2017, Cuba has been undergoing a genocidal turn in u.s.’s unilateral blockade against the island, its people, and their sovereignty; and what was a slow and steady depletion of oxygen has become an aggressive strangulation since January 2026 as part of the Trump administration’s aim to re-colonize the Americas.
“Quien intente apoderarse de Cuba, recogerá el polvo de su suelo anegado en sangre, si no perece en la lucha. [Whoever attempts to take power over Cuba will collect only the dust of its soil soaked in blood, if he does not perish in the struggle].” - Antonio Maceo
Taken in that light, these policy changes represent a challenge around the creep of possible neoliberalism and increased interference by capitalists who want to reinstitute the subservience, dependency-based plantation and extractive tourism economic model of pre-revolutionary Cuba. However, they also represent a historic opportunity for increased solidarity and engagement by those principled anti-imperialists outside of Cuba who want to see both the blockade on Cuba fall, and the curtain close once and for all on u.s. imperialism. This means diversifying our efforts, particularly beyond just La Habana; building deeper, more human relationships with organizations, institutions, collectives; and emphasizing more than rhetorical solidarity and humanitarian support (which are both still absolutely necessary) to move toward more active co-development of our mutually beneficial development, resistance, and liberation projects from a material basis (not and idealist one).
In the end, the direction such changes take will come down to resistance and revolutionary unity to U.S. imperialism by the masses of Cuban society, the international solidarity and engagement by courageous nations and peoples, the effectiveness of what will be new planning processes rooted in municipal autonomy and increasing say of private actors, and the capacity for these changes to allow for areas of advancement of development under siege without an eroding of revolutionary consciousness. Luckily, the Cuban people’s consciousness and resilience has been forged through fire not only in the last 67 years but since the independence struggle began in earnest in 1868. The Revolution leading a transition to socialism through a society based on anti-imperialist sovereignty and true social justice continues.
“En el imperialismo no se puede confiar ni tantico así, nada" [You cannot trust imperialism. In no way at all! Not one iota!] - Che Guevara
I urge us all who claim to be in solidarity with the Cuban people and/or Revolution to hold strong to that commitment and to our vigilance. For now, I encourage folks to check out three episodes of Upstream podcast with guest Dr. Helen Yaffe, discussing elements of Cuban socialism and periods of economic changes and the philosophical and practice objectives that have motivated Cuba’s internal socioeconomic development since 1959:
“Che Guevara and the Building of Socialism” [Upstream Cuba series pt. 3]
“How Cuban Socialism Actually Works” [Upstream Cuba series pt. 7]
“Lessons from the Fall of the USSR” [Upstream Cuba series pt. 8 — only a teaser is available for free at the moment]
Finally, and most importantly, below is a summary of the changes announced on Friday, from folks analyzing the changes in Cuba (in English and Spanish). I will have much more to say specifically on the municipal autonomy, small and medium enterprises, energy independence, and food production pieces, but for now please take the analysis of folks in Cuba above anything I might have to say:
Spanish - Shared on Sat. Jun 13
*Ideas fundamentales de la declaración del Presidente Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez a la prensa cubana* 🇨🇺
1️⃣ *Contexto Nacional, Voluntad de Crecimiento y Defensa*
▪️*Filosofía de desarrollo:* “Como nos enseñó Fidel, en tiempos complejos no se puede prescindir de la pasión por la creatividad, esa que, junto a la unidad de nuestro pueblo y junto a la voluntad, nos puede hacer llegar y hacer superar todos estos desafíos... cada oportunidad en medio de una crisis hay que aprovecharla como un momento de despegue, como un momento de crecimiento”.
▪️*Resiliencia del pueblo:* “En cada detalle de la vida de las cubanas y los cubanos, en cada detalle familiar, en cada detalle de nuestra economía, hay situaciones sumamente complejas, que solo un pueblo tan heroico como el nuestro puede enfrentar, y ante las cuales puede sobrevivir y puede tener la disposición para superarlas”.
2️⃣ *Programa Económico y Social 2026*
▪️*Participación y consenso:* “Ese debate popular amplió, fortaleció, robusteció las proyecciones que traía el documento inicial. Y respetando esa opinión de nuestro pueblo, en estos meses se ha trabajado intensamente con expertos... lo más importante sería que se entiendan esas transformaciones que hay que realizar, que se compartan, se defiendan, y que salgamos a implementarlas con toda eficiencia”.
▪️*Justicia Social y Riqueza:* “La perspectiva de todo lo que proponemos es que entre todos podamos impulsar productivamente el país, crear riqueza, y distribuir esa riqueza con justicia social. Si no tenemos riqueza, es muy difícil poder avanzar, sobre todo en programas sociales y en el camino de poder atender las desigualdades que se nos han creado”.
3️⃣ *Autonomía y Transformación del Modelo Económico*
▪️*Descentralización:* El objetivo es resolver “la contradicción que hay entre la centralización y la descentralización”, definiendo estratégicamente a qué debe dedicarse la planificación central y confiriendo facultades “a otros niveles, para que ellos ejerzan una actividad propia que también impulse potencialidades endógenas”.
▪️*Autonomía Municipal:* “Que el municipio tenga facultades de importar, de exportar, y que no dependa de planes centrales; que el municipio pueda gestionar ingresos en divisas sobre la base de que pueda estimular y gestionar la inversión extranjera directa con intereses propios; que pueda gestionar la inversión o los proyectos con los cubanos residentes en el exterior [y] que pueda aprobar las inversiones de cubanos residentes en Cuba”.
▪️*Autonomía de la Empresa Estatal Socialista:* “Que funcione sin intermediarios, funcione sin manos metidas en su gestión... las empresas van a diseñar sus dimensiones, van a diseñar sus sistemas de salario, van a tener las facultades sin límites, sin trabas, para dar uso a sus utilidades en las cosas que ellos entiendan, en las cosas que aprueben”.
4️⃣ *Producción de Alimentos y Reforma Agraria*
▪️*Gestión de la tierra:* “Dar tierra a los que de verdad puedan producirla; para que haya el menor nivel de tierras ociosas; para que haya los mayores niveles de productividad... para que los productores de cualquiera de los sectores —del estatal, del cooperativo, del privado, del de la inversión extranjera— puedan interrelacionarse”.
▪️*Soberanía Alimentaria:* El fin es que se desarrollen modalidades de negocio que permitan, en poco tiempo, “llegar a la soberanía alimentaria, ser autosuficientes en la producción de alimentos”.
5️⃣ *Comercio Exterior, Actores Económicos e Inversión*
▪️*Dinamización del comercio:* “No sea obligatorio exportar e importar desde cualquiera de los actores económicos con intermediarios... se van a beneficiar con los aranceles de importación aquellos que importen insumos o materias primas... por encima de aquellos que lo que importen sean productos acabados”.
▪️*Mipymes y Formas de Gestión:* “Se van a limitar las actividades prohibidas [para el sector no estatal], con vistas a que el objeto de cada una sea lo más amplio posible... agilizar e incentivar las relaciones de asociación económica especial... entre las formas estatales y las formas no estatales”.
▪️*Inversión Extranjera y Nacional:* “Se han tratado dos formas particulares de inversión de cubanos: la de los cubanos residentes en el exterior y la de los cubanos en Cuba; y que en igualdad de condiciones puedan participar como actores económicos... con un marco estable, legal, que garantice seguridad para los negocios en el tiempo”.
6️⃣ *Energía, Movilidad e Importación de Vehículos*
▪️*Independencia Energética:* “Cómo somos cada vez menos dependientes de la generación eléctrica con el uso de combustibles fósiles —y sobre todo con el uso de combustibles fósiles importados—, teniendo en cuenta todo el impacto que tiene este criminal bloqueo energético”.
▪️*Importación de Vehículos:* “Vamos a quitar en todo lo posible... las limitaciones que hay para la importación de vehículos. Siempre priorizando en materia arancelaria, en materia de precios, la importación de vehículos eléctricos, de vehículos eléctricos que se carguen con energía solar”.
7️⃣ *Reestructuración del Estado y Políticas Sociales*
▪️*Reducción de la Burocracia:* “Hay una reducción importante, no solo de ministerios, sino que hay una reducción importante también de cargos... para que tengamos un Estado, un Gobierno, organizaciones que tengan menos burocracia, que sean más dinámicas”.
▪️*Reforma Salarial y Subsidios:* Los ahorros del presupuesto se destinarán a “apoyar la reforma salarial, a la cual, en el menor tiempo posible, tenemos que ir sobre todo en el sector presupuestario”. Asimismo, se avanzará en “eliminando los subsidios a productos, para ir implementando el subsidio a personas”.
8️⃣ *Sistema Bancario, Turismo y Capital Humano*
▪️*Fortalecimiento Financiero:* “Hay también una visión hacia la política monetaria y sobre todo hacia un redimensionamiento y a un funcionamiento distinto con participación de todos los actores en el mercado cambiario”.
▪️*Turismo e Inmobiliaria:* “Rumbo a nuevas modalidades, con nuevos actores... gestionamos negocios en el ámbito inmobiliario y en el turismo, con nuevas modalidades y con otros actores que no son los que han estado tradicionalmente en estos espacios”.
▪️*Protección de la Juventud:* “Cómo protegemos salarialmente [al capital humano joven], cómo lo protegemos con incentivos, para que esos jóvenes no tengan que hacer proyectos fuera del país y tengan las condiciones y las posibilidades para aquí aportarle al desarrollo de su país”.
9️⃣ *Unidad y Resistencia Frente a la Agresión*
▪️*Estrategia de Unidad:* “Nuestra respuesta tiene que ser la de la unidad. Se discutirán abiertamente estas cosas; y todo el que tenga una idea mejor y tenga una propuesta mejor, que la diga, y siempre se estará valorando”.
▪️*Resistencia Heroica:* “No se dan cuenta de que hay un pueblo dispuesto en su mayoría a no rendirse y a no dejarse humillar, y a no perder lo que es perfectible. Esa perfección tenemos que lograrla entre nosotros, con el esfuerzo y con el talento de nosotros”.
🔟 *Instancias y Proceso de Aprobación*
“Hay una madurez de una parte importante de esas ideas, de esas propuestas”; y detalló que a las mismas “se les están dando los últimos detalles para la aprobación en el Buró Político, en la Asamblea Nacional; y de inmediato comenzar un proceso de información, de explicación a la población, porque lo más importante sería , y que salgamos a implementarlas con toda eficiencia”.
English - A very rough translation
*Key Points from President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez’s Statement to the Cuban Press* 🇨🇺
1️⃣ *National Context, Commitment to Growth and Defense*
▪️*Philosophy of Development:* “As Fidel taught us, in complex times we cannot do without a passion for creativity—that passion which, together with the unity of our people and our will, can help us reach our goals and overcome all these challenges... every opportunity in the midst of a crisis must be seized as a moment of takeoff, as a moment of growth.”
▪️*Resilience of the people:* “In every detail of the lives of Cubans, in every family detail, in every detail of our economy, there are extremely complex situations that only a people as heroic as ours can face—and in the face of which we can survive and have the determination to overcome them.”
2️⃣ *2026 Economic and Social Program*
▪️*Participation and Consensus:* “That popular debate expanded, strengthened, and reinforced the projections contained in the initial document. And respecting the views of our people, we have worked intensively with experts over these past months... the most important thing is that these necessary transformations be understood, shared, and defended, and that we move forward to implement them with the utmost efficiency.”
▪️*Social Justice and Wealth:* “The perspective behind everything we propose is that together we can productively drive the country forward, create wealth, and distribute that wealth with social justice. Without wealth, it is very difficult to make progress, especially in social programs and in addressing the inequalities that have arisen.”
3️⃣ *Autonomy and Transformation of the Economic Model*
▪️*Decentralization:* The goal is to resolve “the contradiction between centralization and decentralization,” strategically defining what central planning should focus on and conferring powers “to other levels, so that they can carry out their own activities that also drive endogenous potential.”
▪️*Municipal Autonomy:* “That the municipality have the authority to import and export, and not depend on central plans; that the municipality be able to manage foreign currency revenues on the basis that it can stimulate and manage foreign direct investment in its own interests; that it be able to manage investments or projects with Cubans residing abroad [and] that it be able to approve investments by Cubans residing in Cuba.”
▪️*Autonomy of Socialist State Enterprises:* “That they operate without intermediaries, without outside interference in their management... enterprises will determine their own scale, design their own wage systems, and have unlimited, unimpeded authority to use their profits as they see fit, for the purposes they approve.”
4️⃣ *Food Production and Agrarian Reform*
▪️*Land Management:* “Give land to those who can truly produce on it; so that there is the lowest possible level of idle land; so that there are the highest levels of productivity... so that producers from any sector—state, cooperative, private, or foreign investment—can interact.”
▪️*Food Sovereignty:* The goal is to develop business models that will allow us, in a short time, “to achieve food sovereignty, to be self-sufficient in food production.”
5️⃣ *Foreign Trade, Economic Actors, and Investment*
▪️*Boosting Trade:* “It will not be mandatory for any economic actor to export or import through intermediaries... those importing inputs or raw materials will benefit from import tariffs... more so than those importing finished products.”
▪️*MSMEs and Forms of Management:* “Prohibited activities [for the non-state sector] will be limited, with a view to making the scope of each as broad as possible... to streamline and incentivize special economic partnership relationships... between state and non-state entities.”
▪️*Foreign and Domestic Investment:* “Two specific forms of investment by Cubans have been addressed: that of Cubans residing abroad and that of Cubans in Cuba; and that, under equal conditions, they may participate as economic actors... within a stable, legal framework that guarantees business security over time.”
6️⃣ *Energy, Mobility, and Vehicle Imports*
▪️*Energy Independence:* “How we can become increasingly less dependent on electricity generation using fossil fuels—and especially on imported fossil fuels—taking into account the full impact of this criminal energy blockade.”
▪️*Vehicle Imports:* “We are going to remove, as much as possible... the restrictions on vehicle imports. We will always prioritize, in terms of tariffs and pricing, the import of electric vehicles—specifically electric vehicles powered by solar energy.”
7️⃣ *State Restructuring and Social Policies*
▪️*Reducing Bureaucracy:* “There will be a significant reduction, not only in the number of ministries, but also in the number of positions... so that we have a State, a Government, and organizations with less bureaucracy that are more dynamic.”
▪️*Wage Reform and Subsidies:* Budget savings will be allocated to “supporting wage reform, which we must implement as quickly as possible, particularly in the public sector.” Additionally, progress will be made in “eliminating product subsidies to gradually implement subsidies for individuals.”
8️⃣ *Banking System, Tourism, and Human Capital*
▪️*Financial Strengthening:* “There is also a vision for monetary policy and, above all, for a restructuring and a different mode of operation involving all actors in the foreign exchange market.”
▪️*Tourism and Real Estate:* “Moving toward new models, with new players... we are managing businesses in the real estate and tourism sectors, with new models and with other players who are not the ones who have traditionally been in these spaces.”
▪️*Youth Protection:* “How do we protect [young human capital] through wages, how do we protect them with incentives, so that these young people do not have to pursue opportunities abroad and have the conditions and possibilities to contribute here to the development of their country.”
9️⃣ *Unity and Resistance in the Face of Aggression*
▪️*Strategy of Unity:* “Our response must be one of unity. These matters will be discussed openly; and anyone who has a better idea or a better proposal should speak up, and it will always be considered.”
▪️*Heroic Resistance:* “They don’t realize that there is a people, the majority of whom are determined not to give up, not to allow themselves to be humiliated, and not to lose what can be perfected. We must achieve that perfection among ourselves, through our own effort and talent.”
🔟 *Bodies and Approval Process*
“A significant portion of these ideas and proposals have reached a stage of maturity”; and he explained that “the final details are being worked out for their approval by the Political Bureau and the National Assembly; and we will immediately begin a process of informing and explaining them to the public, because the most important thing is that we move forward to implement them with the utmost efficiency.”
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