The Cuban economist Pedro Monreal harshly criticized the recent “self-criticism” by the ruling Miguel Díaz-Canel regarding the economic crisis facing Cuba, arguing that it fails to acknowledge fundamental policy errors and the direct impact of the government on the deterioration of the population's standard of living.
Through a series of posts on social media X (formerly Twitter), Monreal dismantled the arguments presented by Díaz-Canel during an interview broadcast on June 20 on the official Presidential channel, in which he acknowledged “errors” in economic management, including the failure of the so-called Tarea Ordenamiento, low investment in key sectors, and an “importer mentality.”
However, the designated ruler and first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) once again blamed the United States embargo for the ills afflicting the nation.
For the economist, this approach deliberately overlooks internal responsibilities. "There is an official reluctance to acknowledge the government's direct responsibility for the massive impoverishment of Cuban society," he emphasized in his thread, where he also pointed out that it is not enough to simply say that "things didn't go well," when in reality there were foreseeable failures in design, implementation, and economic policy priorities.
As an example, Monreal highlighted the implementation of "economic restructuring," which he described as an avoidable mistake: "A change in relative prices focused on redistributing wealth [...] without first strengthening the supply response capacity, including the private sector, would lead to a repetition of the kind of crisis that currently exists in Cuba," he explained.
He also criticized the attempt to obscure the extent of the failure by speaking of "distortions" instead of admitting that a true monetary and exchange unification was never effectively implemented. In his view, the current problems stem from a flawed sequence, insufficient devaluation, and the lack of a functional exchange regime.
Monreal also pointed to the expansion of the informal market and partial dollarization as symptoms of a chaotic implementation of economic policy, which has worsened inequality and poverty.
Another point made by the economist was regarding the lack of investment in agriculture, which Díaz-Canel mentioned as a weakness. Monreal rejected the notion that there simply has not been the ability to invest in agriculture, emphasizing that it was a deliberate political decision to prioritize other sectors such as tourism.
"To say that a rational use of available resources has not been made is not a mistake in itself, but rather the result of a crucial error: the use of the centralized planning scheme," he argued, referring to the model upheld by the "Conceptualization of the Cuban Economic and Social Model."
Monreal's criticism is particularly significant at a time when the government itself acknowledges the seriousness of the situation, characterized by rampant inflation, an unprecedented energy crisis, and the massive exodus of Cubans.
In the same interview, Díaz-Canel admitted that blackouts have lasted up to 20 hours a day, and that the electrical system is in a critical state.
For the economist, the real underlying problem is the current model's inability to generate mechanisms for feedback and learning. "Although the denial or minimization of economic policy errors by a government can be understood, it does not justify such actions," he stated.
Monreal's observations add to a growing chorus of critical voices, both inside and outside the island, calling for not only explanations, but also a genuine change in policies that can pull the country out of the economic abyss it is currently in.
Meanwhile, the official narrative remains anchored in a story that, according to experts, prevents facing the structural errors of the system with honesty.
Díaz-Canel's self-criticism is profoundly hypocritical, coming from a regime that prevents the existence of alternative political forces with different economic projects and has ruled without alternation for 66 years. In Cuba, there is no pluralistic system where the mistakes of one government can be corrected by another through voting, nor is there space for dissent without repression.
The continuity of power is imposed as a central objective, overshadowing the results of its policies or the welfare of citizens. Thus, the partial admission of errors loses its significance when there is no political will to transform a failed model or to hold accountability before the public.
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