No. 43
June 19, 2026
Cuba
Leading Organization of Communist Party
Takes Important
Decisions
The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Cuba convened an Extraordinary Plenum of its Central Committee on Wednesday, June 17, to evaluate proposals for economic and social transformations announced by the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, in recent statements to the press.
Former President, First Secretary
and Current Army General
Raúl Castro Ruz conveyed a message to the Extraordinary
Plenum of the Central Committee in which he confirmed that he
has been
consulted on the proposals for economic and social
transformations and
is in full agreement with them.
President Díaz-Canel delivered a speech at the closing of the Extraordinary Plenum in which he explained the decisions. He began by saying: "This extraordinary plenary session is being held during a decisive time for Cuba. Proud heirs of the legacy of the Commander-in-Chief, we Cuban revolutionaries today face challenges of enormous magnitude that demand unity, ideological firmness, courage, audacity, and creative resistance." He affirmed that the Plenum had the guidance of our leader Raúl, "Hero of the Republic of Cuba, who has taught us every day the sacred value of unity."
He laid out the basis of the extraordinarily complex and challenging situation facing the Cuban people: the relentless aggression of the intensified economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States government; the criminal inclusion of Cuba on the infamous and spurious list of countries that supposedly sponsor terrorism; the false accusations that seek to discredit the government's authority and management while simultaneously depriving the country of any source of foreign currency; the energy embargo imposed by U.S. Presidential Executive Orders of January 29 and May 1, which supports and internationalizes the genocidal blockade, as well as the financial, energy, and investment persecution, by means of secondary sanctions, pushing it to the extreme of maximum pressure. He spoke of the simultaneous political and ideological subversion which is intensifying through media manipulation on social networks to damage the credibility of the Revolution, both among Cubans and foreigners. He called it a "silent genocide being waged against Cuba."
"Cuba resists heroically and creatively," he said "but has suffered for too long a barbaric, undeserved, unbearable punishment, to which is now added the threat of military aggression as a new weapon against collective resistance. [...] Reality compels us to make urgent and necessary changes. And when the people's lives become so difficult, the first duty of the Communist Party and the revolutionary government is not to better explain the crisis, but to change whatever needs to be changed to overcome it. A profound and agile economic agenda is required, one that can be implemented in the short term and combines macroeconomic stabilization, incentives to stimulate and promote productive opening, legal certainty, attracting investment, intensive use of technology, and targeted and effective social protection. [...]
"No one in the history of humanity has faced the challenge of socialism under the conditions that this country, this nation, and this people face today! Without a doubt, we will overcome this challenge with unity, courage, popular participation, and full conviction in our capacity to achieve victory.
"The transformations we are presenting are to advance the defence of socialism, to support and expand social justice, to create economic wealth and distribute it equitably. [...]"
He then proceeded to review and discuss in detail the numerous economic and social transformations being undertaken.
Left: Member of Political Bureau and Organization
Secretary
Roberto Morales Ojeda delivers opening remarks to Plenary.
Right:
President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez speaks at closing of Plenary,
June
17, 2026.
Proposals for Economic and Social Transformations
Regarding these proposals, on June 12, President Díaz-Canel spoke to the press team of the Presidency of the Republic, explaining the priorities designed to overcome current difficulties. First, he spoke about the "multidimensional aggression as part of a completely aggressive policy of the United States government toward Cuba, with total contempt, with an interventionist character," saying this policy "is having an impact that complicates the daily lives of Cubans."
"In
every detail of the lives of Cuban men and women, in every family
detail, in every detail of our economy, there are extremely complex
situations, which only a people as heroic as ours can face, can survive
and can have the will to overcome," he said. Precisely about this "we
have to talk," the president said, about how Cubans "are going to
overcome them." He recalled Fidel's idea that "every opportunity in the
midst of a crisis must be seized as a moment of takeoff, as a moment of
growth." "Therefore," he said, "we have established a set of priorities
to confront this entire situation."
The first, he said, "is preparation for defence" and he outlined the concrete measures that are being implemented to fight if necessary based on a "People's War strategy." The other major priority, the president stated, "is the Economic and Social Program for 2026." Díaz-Canel recalled that it was submitted for public debate at the end of last year, and that from this collective reflection "many proposals emerged, especially regarding elements of transformation in the economic and social model. This public debate broadened, strengthened, and reinforced the projections contained in the initial document.”
The perspective behind everything we propose, Díaz-Canel said, "is that together we can productively boost the country, create wealth, and distribute that wealth with social justice." Economic management matters are being addressed, he pointed out, including issues of central planning and of incentives pertaining to implementation of the Economic and Social Program for 2026. "What should the country's central planning focus on?" Díaz-Canel asked. "What should it promote? What should it strategically address?" While safeguarding these essential aspects, he emphasized removing obstacles and granting powers "to other levels, so that they can carry out their own activities that also promote the endogenous potential that exists in those areas."
Municipal autonomy and business autonomy were other work priorities raised by the Cuban President. He said that the municipality should have the power to import and export, and should not depend on central plans; that the municipality should be able to manage foreign currency revenues based on its ability to stimulate and manage foreign direct investment in its own interest; that it should be able to manage investments or projects with Cubans residing abroad, that it should be able to approve investments by Cubans residing in Cuba, and that it should be able to facilitate all interconnections and partnerships among all economic actors.
With regard to the autonomy of state-owned enterprises, Díaz-Canel said: "They should operate without intermediaries, without interference in their management. And above all, with significant participation from the company's workers – who are the owners, who represent the State, who represent the people's social ownership of these companies." Díaz-Canel explained to reporters that according to the plan, based on worker participation in decision-making, "companies will design their size, they will design their salary systems, they will have unlimited and unhindered power to use their profits as they see fit, as they approve. [...] They will be able to form economic partnerships with any type of economic actor; they will decide who their clients and suppliers are. They will develop their plans – some will respond to state orders, but other plans must facilitate production and services for export and for the population."
Díaz-Canel commented that there will also be a restructuring of the State apparatus, the government, the business sector, the Party, political organizations, and mass organizations throughout the country: "There is already a draft bill that has been made public on the National Assembly website so that the public can offer their opinions before it goes to the National Assembly; but there is a significant reduction, not only in the number of ministries, but also in the number of positions." This, he argued, will lead to "savings in the budget, which will then be available to support social programs or the salary reform, which we must implement as quickly as possible, especially in the budgetary sector, because in the business sector there are no limits – that is, each company designs its own salary system and pays salaries based on the revenue it is able to generate."
More Powers for the Effective Use of Land: The broad range of powers is very much geared toward stimulating and revitalizing agricultural production, food production, Díaz Canel explained. He referred to "the powers that will be granted for land use; to give land to those who can truly produce it; to minimize idle land; to maximize productivity; to ensure producers have access to input markets, both in foreign currency and in national currency; to give producers access to the foreign exchange market; and to enable producers from any sector – state, cooperative, private, and foreign investment, which may also be involved in food production – to interact and form partnerships."
A More Dynamic Foreign Trade: The president commented on "a group of measures aimed at foreign trade, exports, value chains, and logistics," all designed to make this area of the national structure increasingly "more dynamic." In this regard, he stated that "it will not be mandatory for any economic actor to export and import through intermediaries;" and added: "Those who import inputs or raw materials for production and service processes in Cuba will benefit from import tariffs more than those who import finished products that can be manufactured domestically."
Non-State Forms of Management: Regarding non-state management forms, Díaz-Canel stated that "prohibited activities will be limited" with the aim of broadening the scope of each form "to allow for the development of the greatest number of activities, all within clear rules and legal frameworks." He also said that "opportunities for shareholder participation" will be expanded.
Energy: Another priority that has been addressed and promoted, as the president explained, involves the use of renewable energy sources in all sectors, and how we are becoming "less and less dependent on electricity generation using fossil fuels – and especially imported fossil fuels – given the impact of this criminal energy blockade on our country, which has seen only one oil tanker enter Cuba in the last five months." On the topic of energy, he said, "we are committed to increasing electric mobility, both through the importation of electrical equipment and through the assembly and manufacturing of different types of equipment in Cuba."
Subsidizing Those Who need It Most: Addressing another high-priority task for Cuba, Díaz-Canel stated: "We are going to gradually eliminate product subsidies and implement subsidies for individuals, with differentiated attention given to those who need it most."
Tourism, Fuel, Trade and Human Capital: Regarding tourism, severely impacted by the imperialist blockade, the president alluded to the importance of moving towards "new approaches, with new players" that will allow for the development of "all the infrastructure we have." "We cannot think, at this time, only about the large chains when many of them, due to pressure from the United States government, have withdrawn from the country." Along the same lines, he referred to "how we manage businesses in the real estate and tourism sectors, with new approaches and with other players who are not those who have traditionally been in these areas."
Conclusion – Cuba Has Not Stopped: Toward the end of his remarks, Díaz Canel spoke about "having confidence" because "the country has not been brought to a stand-still. The country is intelligently confronting this entire situation. We can't say everything so clearly because the enemy is lurking in everything we do." The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party emphasized: "I believe our response must be one of unity. These things will be discussed openly; and anyone who has a better idea or a better proposal should share it, and it will always be considered."
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