Díaz-Canel announces key reforms in Cuba, says 'times require change'

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel announced a significant package of economic reforms on Friday, June 12, 2026, aimed at revitalizing key sectors including tourism, agriculture, foreign trade, and private enterprise. The president asserted that these changes are essential for the nation to adapt to a "new context" and declared, "these are times when we must change."

Díaz-Canel explained that the decisions are designed to address "the demands of current times," seeking to accelerate economic activity, reduce bureaucratic obstacles, and provide greater "autonomy" to various productive actors. He explicitly denied that these initiatives were a direct response to demands from Washington for reforms on the island.

Speaking on state television, the president defended his administration's handling of the country's complex situation. "The country is not standing still. The country is intelligently facing this entire situation," he stated, adding, "We cannot say everything so clearly because the enemy is watching everything we do. Our response must be unity."

Key reforms include opening the tourism sector to new players and modalities for managing hotel infrastructure, a move that follows reduced operations by international chains due to intensified U.S. sanctions. The government also plans to dismantle state import monopolies to improve efficiency in foreign trade and ease restrictions on vehicle imports.

Agricultural reforms will allow producers direct access to inputs, facilitate alliances with other economic actors, enable participation in the currency market, and provide "real" accounts backed by cash. Díaz-Canel promised to make administrative procedures "as light as possible." The plan also seeks to expand opportunities for private initiative and attract foreign capital, ensuring Cubans living abroad have the same investment opportunities as those on the island.

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the country is not standing still. The country is intelligently facing this entire situation. Not everything can be said so clearly because the enemy is watching everything we do. Our response must be unity.