A Cuban lawmaker called to "defend social achievements" in key sectors such as Health and Education during a parliamentary session held at the National Capitol, in a context marked by a deep economic crisis and a sustained deterioration of public services on the island.
The statement was made during the analysis of the execution of the state budget for 2026, which involved 144 deputies from various permanent commissions of the National Assembly of People's Power.
“It has been a very fruitful debate, a debate where criticism has been abundant, addressing all the issues related to debts to producers, the defense of social achievements, how to uphold the quality of services in education, health, culture, sports, and everything that pertains to these achievements,” stated the parliamentarian in an interview for the National Television News (NTV).
The deputy insisted that the central objective is to uphold the historical pillars of the Cuban model: “How to support the budget for the social security of our pensioners… all the issues are quite complex, but I believe that a very grounded, realistic, and fruitful debate has taken place regarding the guidelines to follow this year.”
However, these statements contrast with the reality faced by the very sectors that are said to be "defended." The educational system is facing a shortage of over 2,000 teachers in several provinces, while in the health sector there are increasing reports of shortages of medications, deteriorating facilities, and the exodus of professionals.
The session, conducted via videoconference, was led by Esteban Lazo Hernández, president of the Parliament and member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Cuba, along with senior government officials, including the Minister of Finance and Prices, Vladimir Regueiro Vale, and heads of Education, Higher Education, and INDER.
During the meeting, the implementation of Agreement X-159 regarding Law 181 of the State Budget, approved in December 2025, was evaluated in the context of an adverse economic environment that the Government itself acknowledges.
The budget includes a fiscal deficit of up to 74.5 billion pesos, in a country that also anticipates a contraction of the Gross Domestic Product of up to 7.2%. Additionally, there is the structural pressure of sustaining payments to over 1.8 million pensioners, in a context of declining state revenues and limited productive capacity.
In his remarks, Lazo acknowledged the economic limitations, although he shifted the focus back to internal management factors.
"It is important that we put forth all our effort and work towards reducing the impact of those subjective issues that are not related to the fuel supply problem, not at all, but rather to organizational and labor issues, as well as resources that we can recover."
The identification of "subjective problems" as the main cause of economic difficulties has been a recurring theme in official discourse, despite economists and analysts warning for years about deeper structural failures, such as low productivity, lack of incentives, excessive centralization, and the deterioration of the state apparatus.
In that sense, the call to "defend the achievements" takes on a more rhetorical than operational tone, as no concrete solutions are outlined to reverse the visible deterioration of those services.
The insistence on preserving the "quality" of education or healthcare contrasts with a reality characterized by material shortages, the migration of professionals, and increasing inequality in access.
During the debate, the deputies made proposals to increase revenue, reduce expenditures, and improve fiscal control mechanisms, as well as to advance decentralization towards provinces and municipalities.
However, these measures have been proposed in previous years without managing to reverse the accumulated deterioration.
Lazo himself emphasized the need to "sustain the entire economic process based on the limitations currently faced by the Cuban economy," a statement that, rather than signaling fundamental changes, indicates the continuation of policies that have already been implemented amid a prolonged crisis.
The debate was presented by the authorities as part of an exercise in parliamentary oversight and an initiative to promote a "popular and participatory" budget.
However, this occurs in a context where economic decisions remain highly centralized and where citizens face the direct consequences of the adjustment: inflation, scarcity, and the deterioration of basic services.
Thus, while the official discourse insists on defending the "achievements of the revolution," the data and the real conditions of the country show that these historical accomplishments are currently experiencing one of their most fragile moments in decades.
Filed under: