The Cuban deputy and businessman Carlos Miguel Pérez Reyes questioned Miguel Díaz-Canel's reformist tone and demanded that the official call to transform the economic and social model be translated into a concrete implementation program.
“A very necessary speech. But what about the implementation?” wrote the legislator on Facebook, referring to the statements made by the leader during the most recent meeting of the Council of Ministers, where he urged for immediate transformations related to business and municipal autonomy, the resizing of the state apparatus, food production, changes in the energy matrix, and the promotion of exports.
Pérez, who in the end is just another cog in the regime, stated that beyond the announcements, the country needs “an implementation program with clear priorities, defined responsibilities, deadlines, and public oversight.”
In his view, the primary bottleneck is not the diagnosis, but the execution.
The deputy listed three structural obstacles that, according to him, cannot be ignored.
The first is the shortage of personnel in key state structures responsible for implementing and controlling public policies.
He pointed out that several agencies are reporting critical levels of staff coverage.
The second issue is the institutional weakness in the municipalities, where there are vacancies in leadership positions and problems of corruption and a lack of effective control accumulate.
The third is the shortage of energy and fuel, which causes interruptions in basic management and delays any initiatives.
"If these conditions are not met, any transformation runs the risk of remaining just on paper," he warned.
Among his proposals, he suggested a "leaner but more effective" state where it matters, with a reduction of structures that provide little value and a concentration of resources on executing teams.
He proposed salaries linked to measurable results, improved material working conditions, 100% digitalization of essential procedures, elimination of unnecessary in-person tasks, and systematic use of videoconferencing to save fuel.
He also requested a functional restructuring of ministries and chains of command, with fewer levels of approval, fewer "layers of control," and quarterly goals accompanied by public accountability.
It emphasized the need to clearly define which priorities should be maintained at the national level and which can be managed at the municipal level, in order to avoid transferring responsibilities without resources.
The legislator advocated for reviewing and repealing measures that, in his opinion, hinder the economy, as well as for equalizing opportunities for Cubans residing on the island compared to foreign or national investors abroad.
He also urged for the simplification of the creation of economic actors through mandatory maximum deadlines and mechanisms that function even in areas with personnel shortages and energy issues.
The statements sparked a wide-ranging debate on social media. Elizabeth González Aznar asserted that for eight years promises have been repeated without results and questioned the continued justification of failures without taking responsibility.
Ernesto Guerra Ruidíaz recalled that many of those proposals had already been included in the Guidelines approved over a decade ago and questioned the opportunity costs associated with the slow pace of their implementation.
Yordanis Álvarez stated that one cannot talk about municipal autonomy if resources are not genuinely decentralized and if fuel is not guaranteed for exporting and producing food.
Daniel Guerrero suggested that any transformation should include political freedoms and free elections.
Other users supported the deputy's critical approach. José Alejandro Rodríguez described it as a voice that does not act as a "sounding board," while Adrián Díaz agreed on the importance of acknowledging objective limitations and proposing simplification and a reduction of bureaucratism.
Miguel Ángel Márquez stated that removing the blockade of the official discourse would allow for a focus on internal solutions.
The statement comes amid an economy that, according to official data, recorded a year-on-year inflation rate of 12.5% in January, and in the context of decentralization announced by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero, who reported that municipalities will assume the approval of economic actors as part of the Economic and Social Program for 2026.
For Pérez, transformation cannot remain at the level of slogans: "The implementation in Cuba in 2026 depends on three things: people, energy, and leadership," he concluded.
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