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Miami-Dade Commissioner Anthony Rodríguez warned that reports about a possible opening of the Cuban regime to allow investments from Cubans living abroad should be received "with caution," considering that such potential measures would not represent a real change for the Island as long as the government continues to deny freedoms and fundamental rights to the population.
In a message posted on X, Rodríguez stated that the Cuban dictatorship has “a long history” of announcing limited economic changes while keeping the denial of political, civil, and economic rights to the Cuban people intact.
According to his proposal, any relaxation regarding investment or business matters should be analyzed in that context and not seen as an automatic signal of substantive transformation.
The commissioner's warning came in response to reports suggesting that the regime might allow Cubans abroad to invest in businesses within the Island.
However, Rodríguez questioned the extent of that possibility and suggested that it would involve "controlled" economic concessions, designed in a way that ultimately benefits the regime more than the Cuban citizens.
"True progress for Cuba will not come from controlled economic concessions designed to benefit the regime, but from genuine political and economic freedom for the Cuban people," he wrote.
With that statement, the official took a clear stance: for him, Cuba's development does not depend on partial adjustments made from power, but rather on a deeper transformation of the political and economic system.
Rodríguez also linked this stance to institutional and political support for the Cuban diaspora and the opposition within the Island.
In his message, he stated that Miami-Dade supports the Cuban community in exile as well as those in Cuba who "continue to fight for democracy, human rights, and genuine opportunities."
The commissioner's statement places the debate on a possible economic opening within a broader political context.
Changes in Cuba?
Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel announced on Friday that the government is preparing new measures related to the policy for Cubans residing abroad.
He stated that the objective is to facilitate their participation in the country's economic development and reduce bureaucratic obstacles.
During statements to the state media, Díaz-Canel explained that multiple meetings have been held with Cubans in various countries and regions around the world, where they have put forward proposals to contribute more to the national economy.
The leader emphasized that the Political Bureau and the Government discussed a package of measures that, according to him, would address the majority of the demands put forth by the diaspora.
"I believe that the new actions to be announced will almost completely address the concerns raised by Cubans living abroad and will greatly facilitate their presence and participation in the country's economic development program," he said.
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