In his appearance last Friday, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel asserted that Cubans living abroad should play a role in the economic and social development of the country, in a speech that contrasts with the confrontational tone the regime has maintained towards emigration for years.
In official media, Díaz-Canel acknowledged that the Cuban community outside the island has grown significantly and described it as the government's "responsibility" to "welcome them, listen to them, and take care of them," as well as to promote their participation in the country's development.
“Undoubtedly, the number of Cubans living abroad or extending their stay overseas has been increasing (...) and therefore it is our responsibility as a government to welcome them, listen to them, and ensure they have a space for participation in the economic and social development of our country,” he stated.
The statements come amidst a complex economic scenario on the island, characterized by shortages, the deterioration of the energy system, and the mass migration of Cubans in recent years.
According to a report by Univision 23, the leader also acknowledged that the connection with emigration is one of the areas that the regime considers "most important and decisive" within the transformations it claims to be promoting in its economic and social model.
In his statement, Díaz-Canel emphasized that many Cubans abroad are professionals trained in the country and maintain cultural and familial ties with the island, in addition to providing support to their relatives in difficult times.
The president announced that the government is preparing new measures to facilitate the participation of Cubans abroad in the national economy. He mentioned that the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Trade, Óscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, will soon explain the details of these actions.
However, the conciliatory tone of the speech has drawn attention because it contrasts with years of official rhetoric that has been hostile towards the Cuban exile community, which the regime has historically accused of promoting campaigns against the island.
Díaz-Canel himself became embroiled in controversy in 2018 when he referred on social media to Cubans who, in his view, acted against the country as "mistakenly born bad", a statement that sparked significant backlash at the time.
Moreover, the official dialogue with Cubans abroad is often limited to sectors that are aligned with or close to the regime's discourse, while opponents, activists, and much of the diaspora remain excluded from those spaces.
At a time when remittances, package deliveries, and family support from abroad have become a vital lifeline for millions of Cubans on the island, the change in tone from the ruling authority once again places the relationship between the regime and a diaspora that now exceeds two million people at the center of the debate.
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