Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel announced a sweeping economic reform package on June 13, 2026, intended to revitalize the country's economy and reduce central control over key sectors [1, 2]. The reforms target boosting investment, easing trade restrictions, granting agricultural producers greater autonomy, and lifting vehicle import limits [2].
Under the proposal, the state's mandatory role as an intermediary in foreign trade will be eliminated, allowing more direct commercial operations [2]. The number of government ministries will be cut from 27 to 20 to streamline bureaucracy [2]. Product subsidies will be gradually removed, with social assistance focused on the most vulnerable populations [2].
The government also plans to open the tourism sector to new business models and operators, a response after several foreign hotel chains—including Spain's Melia Hotels International and Canada's Blue Diamond Resorts—announced full or partial withdrawal from Cuba in June 2026 due to U.S. sanctions affecting about 50 hotels [2].
Diaz-Canel emphasized that the reforms aim to strengthen Cuba’s economic model and are not a reaction to outside pressure. He said, "The country is not standing still. The country is intelligently confronting all of these circumstances. We cannot express everything we do so openly because the enemy is watching every step we take. Our response must be unity and solidarity" [2].
Additionally, Cuban citizens living abroad will be granted the same economic rights as those on the island under the new rules [2].
The reform package will be submitted to the Political Bureau of the Cuban Communist Party for review, followed by debate in the National Assembly of People's Power [2].
