The Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum announced this Monday that her government is exploring investment opportunities and trade agreements with Cuba, taking advantage of the recent economic opening declared by the regime of Miguel Díaz-Canel.
"Cuba opened its economy. It was a decision made by the Cuban government a few weeks ago," Sheinbaum stated.
"They had opened up certain sectors, such as tourism, but now they have decided to further open up the economy. This means that there may be investments in Cuba from private companies or through cooperation with joint ventures," emphasized the leader sympathetic to the regime in Havana.
The official noted that the efforts involve several institutions: "We are working with AMEXCID, but also with the Ministry of Finance, Bancomext, and other institutions of the Government of Mexico," reported the government source Prensa Latina.
Sheinbaum also highlighted the role of the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID), headed by Alejandra del Moral, as a key player in cooperation with the island.
"Amexid now has a headquarters in Cuba to facilitate humanitarian aid, and has been working on sending both food and other supplies that the Cuban people need," the president stated.
Since February 8, 2026, Mexico has sent at least five ships with over 3,100 tons of humanitarian aid to Cuba, including food, medicine, and solar panels, as part of a maritime bridge initiated by Sheinbaum.
The opening was announced on March 17, 2026, by the Cuban vice prime minister Óscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, and regulated by Official Gazette No. 24, published on March 3.
The measures allow Cubans residing abroad to be owners or partners in small and medium-sized Cuban enterprises, access land for usufruct, and participate in infrastructure projects.
However, the opening lacks real legal guarantees: shares are non-transferable and non-mortgageable, and any investment requires prior authorization from the Council of Ministers, which maintains the risk of discretionary expropriation.
The announcement from Sheinbaum comes at a time of acute crisis for Cuba.
The island's GDP has contracted by 11% over the last five years, tourism has dropped from 4.7 million visitors in 2018 to 1.8 million in 2025, and the population is facing widespread blackouts and shortages of food and medicine.
The crisis worsened since January 2026, when the United States blocked the supply of Venezuelan oil to Cuba following the capture of Nicolás Maduro, and implemented Executive Order 14380, which declared a national emergency and sanctioned crude oil suppliers to the island.
Sheinbaum preferred not to disclose details about the agreements under negotiation: "I wouldn't want to advance further, to be able to detail them," she said, leaving the true extent of Mexico's commitment to the Cuban regime open to interpretation.
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