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The announcement of the Economic and Social Program of the Government 2026, presented during an ordinary session of the Council of Ministers led by the ruling Miguel Díaz-Canel and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, sparked a wave of skeptical comments this Saturday, even among users of the profile on Facebook of the official page Cubadebate.
The predominant reaction was not enthusiasm, but exhaustion in the face of yet another set of goals, timelines, and promises in a country marked by inflation, blackouts, the deterioration of basic services, and a collapse in productivity.
"And can you tell me what the major goals and social commitment are so that I can be well informed? Because as it stands, I don’t understand anything," wrote Crescencio López, summarizing the feeling of disconnection between the official discourse and the daily life of Cubans.
The Government itself acknowledged during the meeting that “traditional methods are not providing results,” in the words of Vice Prime Minister Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, who urged for “greater initiative” and “different proposals” to tackle the economic crisis.
However, for many commentators, the recognition comes late and without any real substantive changes. “Another program again!!!,” mocked Alejandro Pérez. “When the results arrive, we won't know if they are due to correcting errors, revitalizing the economy, or the monetary reorganization.”
Distrust was also marked by the program's timeline. “We are already halfway through the 26,” commented Yordanis Ricardo Labrada, while Ernesto Cordoví asked, “How is it possible that it is only now being approved?”
Daniel Labañino Fals also questioned how the country has progressed several months of the year "without a plan." Other comments were even harsher against the centralized economic model and the accumulation of unfulfilled programs.
"How many plans, guidelines, and directives have been proposed in the last 10 years, and none have resolved anything," wrote Edgar Uribe, who called for an end to "experimentation" and for granting more economic freedoms "like in China or Vietnam."
José, another user, rated the new announcement as "just another plan," recalling previous programs that were "all announced and none fulfilled." He also criticized the contradiction that the very Council of Ministers approving new plans now acknowledges the existence of excessive bureaucracy.
Economic and social deterioration was a recurring theme in the criticisms. "The ordinary people are still in the same situation: without food, without electricity, without drinking water, without gas to cook, and without medicine," wrote Eloisa Melian Morfa.
Some comments even reflected ideological disillusionment. "The socialist state enterprise does not work," said Ruslan DC, who claimed that "more than 70% of the population does not believe in that solution."
While Marrero insisted that the program captures "popular wisdom" and contains "all our great goals and commitments," many users seemed to interpret the announcement as yet another discursive rephrasing of policies that have not managed to reverse the crisis.
One of the most striking elements is the statement from the Deputy Prime Minister Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga who admitted that traditional methods are not yielding results, while urging action with "greater initiative" and "different proposals."
The official report also confirmed that the year-on-year inflation reached 13.42% in March and that agricultural prices in the non-state market increased by 31.9%.
In addition, the Government acknowledged failures in investments due to a lack of fuel, steel, cement, and financing.
Amidst this scenario, comments on Cubadebate revealed something increasingly apparent even in official spaces: the erosion of the regime's economic discourse credibility and the growing public skepticism toward each new "reordering" promised from those in power.
The most recent meeting of the Council of Ministers takes place in a bleak economic context. The Minister of Economy, Joaquín Alonso Vázquez, reported that the year-on-year inflation rate at the end of March stood at 13.42%, with agricultural prices in the non-state market rising by 31.9% just in Havana.
Cuba's GDP has declined by 23% since 2019, with an additional contraction projected at 7.2% for this year, in what analysts describe as the worst crisis since the Special Period.
An independent survey by elToque with over 41,658 responses (58% from within Cuba) revealed that 92% of participants are "very dissatisfied" with the government and 95% consider a political change urgent.
Díaz-Canel received the lowest rating among eight government figures, with an average of 1.11 out of 5, with 93.7% assigning him the minimum score.
Cuba has a history of frequently announced structural reforms that are implemented slowly or without tangible results.
The failed monetary reform of 2021 triggered inflation and worsened the economic situation, and in December 2025 Díaz-Canel himself acknowledged the need to combat bureaucracy without any visible changes occurring.
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