Díaz-Canel calls for the reconstruction of Cuba after six decades of destruction: Did he confess the real reasons?

Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel celebrated Builder's Day in Cuba this Friday with a message on social media platform X, where he urged to "build, rebuild, and beautify" the homeland, which he described as "mercilessly battered" for six decades.

Instead of acknowledging the government's responsibility for the significant deterioration of Cuba's urban landscape and the increase in extreme poverty in the country, Díaz-Canel chose once again to blame the "external enemy."

"For all that we need to build, rebuild, and beautify in our homeland, which has been relentlessly battered by six decades of blockade and severe cyclones, we thank the builders for their hard work and salute them on their Day. Uphold quality and beauty. Cuba deserves it," wrote the leader.

The message contrasts with the critical situation of the construction sector on the island, which closed the first quarter of 2025 with an alarming setback. Of the 10,795 planned homes, only 1,344 were completed, which represents 12.4% of the annual plan.

For over a decade, the government has failed to fulfill the housing construction plan, and the critical situation worsens with each hurricane that hits the island. Melissa, in October, left thousands of families homeless, and the regime has not resolved the crisis. There are still victims from other cyclones in Pinar del Río and eastern Cuba who, after 10 years, still do not have a home.

The main causes of the sector's collapse are the shortage of cement, labor, construction materials, lack of investment, and the halt of the national industry.

Despite the disastrous results, the Minister of Construction, René Mesa Villafaña, remains in his position with no announcement of structural changes or accountability. What he has succeeded in, however, is his diligent management in the construction of luxury hotels in Cuba, which are operating at very low occupancy rates.

Official speeches repeat old promises of "greater efficiency" and "innovation," while thousands of Cubans continue to live among rubble, in homes on the brink of collapse, or directly without a roof.