The Cuban regime announced the launch of an "experimental project" that introduces a new management scheme for the ambulance service in Havana, featuring the addition of 15 ambulances equipped with specialized technology.
A report by journalist Bernardo Espinoza for the National Television News (NTV) highlighted the agreement reached between the Ministries of Transport, Public Health, authorities of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), the government of Havana, and the joint venture MCV Comercial S.A.
The “experimental project” emerged during the negotiations at the International Transport and Logistics Fair held in April 2024 in the capital. At the end of the report, in which Espinoza interviewed authorities and those responsible for the project, the state journalist made the following remark:
"The payment for the services to the mixed entity that owns the equipment will be covered by the State Budget."
In other words, Cubans are witnessing a covert privatization of essential public services, which was never subject to a public call, a list of conditions, and for which they have no information regarding the costs it will entail for state finances, which are sustained by their taxes and contributions.
There is also no accessible information regarding the mixed company MCV Comercial S.A., including who makes up and directs it, the capital with which it was established, or what its proposal was to participate in this "experimental project" announced by the communist regime.
All these concerns were summarized and expressed in a recent tweet by the Cuban economist Pedro Monreal, who criticized the agreement and pointed to the covert privatization of essential public services that the Cuban regime is initiating with its famous "paquetazo" of economic measures to "correct distortions and reinvigorate the economy."
“Vague narrative about 'experiment' with ambulances. It would not be merely 'intersectoral collaboration.' It also seems to open a business for foreign investors in the management of basic public health services,” noted the expert in his publication.
Furthermore, he contrasted the decision with the official narrative of a communist regime that has always claimed its "moral superiority" over capitalism due to free access to public services such as health and education, funded by the state budget and supposedly free from the impositions and constraints of market logic.
"Where would the praise for the supposed superiority of a gigantic state sector that claims its inability to own, operate, and maintain ambulances fit? What prevents the government from involving national private capital in that type of 'experiment'?" Monreal asked.
The measure represents an apparent contradiction to the position historically defended by the regime, which has maintained the primacy of the socialist state enterprise over the private sector and has repeatedly expressed opposition to any process of privatization, which is why it has sparked a wave of criticism on social media.
Contradictions of the official discourse
Over the years, government figures such as Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz and the leader Miguel Díaz-Canel have reiterated that privatization is not the way for Cuba,
In a meeting of the Council of Ministers held in December 2019, Díaz-Canel stated that in 2020 they would "remove obstacles to enhance state enterprises," and that they would implement "everything necessary to unleash the productive forces," but that none of this should be confused with "privatization, as that is not our path".
Marrero has recently stated that "state-owned enterprises will not be allowed to fail" and that the government has the responsibility to strengthen them, while Díaz-Canel has insisted that the economic measures adopted aim to preserve the socialist model, rejecting criticisms regarding an alleged process of dismantling the public sector.
We let them deteriorate, under the excuse that there are few resources, and despite all the policies we have approved for self-management. An intentional strategy to later justify the need for privatization, said Marrero Cruz in June 2024 when discussing the deficiencies of state-owned enterprises.
However, the "experimental project" of the ambulances seems to contradict all these statements and raises several questions about the true nature and scope of this covert privatization undertaken by the Cuban regime in an opaque manner.
Despite the magnitude of the project, clear details have not been provided regarding the contract costs, the duration of the agreement, or the specific conditions of private participation in the public health sector. The lack of information and the somewhat vague official narrative have fueled skepticism among citizens and experts.
The lack of transparency is not a new problem in Cuban public management. The government has handled key issues such as the privatization of premises in Havana or the management of funeral services in Santiago de Cuba with secrecy. In 2023, the government denied the privatization of these services, despite evidence that private entities had taken operational control.
Impact on the population
The decision to allocate state resources to the mixed company MCV Comercial S.A. raises questions about the government's priorities and its commitment to the efficiency of public spending.
From the perspective of the citizenry, the implementation of this management model raises questions about equity and access to healthcare services. It is unclear whether this collaboration will eventually involve the introduction of fees or additional payments from citizens, or if the "experimental project" will be rolled out under the same conditions across all healthcare areas in the country.
“Our plan is to launch this first project with the first 15 ambulances, and as the year progresses, we will design the expansion of this [project], as well as its establishment in other provinces, within the infrastructure of the joint venture, to provide service to the other provinces,” assured Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, the Minister of Transport, who argued for the need to extend this model because currently “health services are sometimes not as efficient as they should be.”
“In practical terms, we have sought a scheme in which Transportation will handle the ambulance and the driver, while Public Health provides the entire medical crew, and together we ensure that the service maintains quality. The vehicles will belong to the mixed company MCV Comercial S.A., which will also be responsible for their operation and maintenance,” he added.
Covert privatization
Despite official claims that the measure does not imply privatization, the lack of clarity regarding the terms of the joint venture's participation in the management of ambulances continues to generate distrust among experts and the public.
The absence of a transparent regulatory framework and the government's refusal to publicly acknowledge the possibility of a structural change in the management of public services fuel the perception that a covert privatization is being implemented.
The implementation of this new ambulance management scheme marks a turning point in the public service policy upheld by the Cuban regime for over 60 years.
Despite the government's declarations of "continuity" against privatization, the facts suggest otherwise. The lack of transparency, the manipulated narrative, and the absence of concrete figures regarding the project only reinforce the idea that the regime is taking measures that contradict its own discourse... and raise suspicion that new "elites" connected to the power and decision-making of the regime will benefit from this covert privatization scheme.
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