The Cuban-American businessman Carlos Saladrigas, president of the Cuba Study Group, warned that no serious investor will bet on Cuba unless the regime implements fundamental political changes.
"Investors will not invest in Cuba if there are no political changes," he stated in an interview given to HyperMedia Magazine.
Saladrigas was emphatic in stating that isolated economic reforms are not enough for investors to pay attention to the supposedly profitable projects announced by the regime.
"It cannot be said that the problem will be resolved solely through economic changes," he stated.
In the business owner's view, as long as the Cuban government maintains the premise that "the socialist state is in charge of the economy," it will not generate the necessary confidence to attract capital from the United States or Europe. "That is not going to inspire confidence in anyone, because we know it hasn't worked anywhere in the world."
"As long as the government continues to believe that the state sector is a priority and that the private sector is subsidiary and secondary, this will not attract any investment," he asserted.
He also referred to the importance of independent judiciary in Cuba, so that investors have laws protecting their rights.
"There must be an independent judiciary, because otherwise there is no trust. If I have a dispute with the government and they freeze a bank account, as happened to Vietnamese investors for several months, what resources would I have? Where would I turn if the courts in Cuba are subordinate to the Communist Party?"
Regarding this issue, he added: "If citizens have no rights... how can I expect to have any as a foreign investor?"
In March, Saladrigas had already proposed a economic reconstruction plan for Cuba funded by the diaspora and the United States, with an initial phase costing between 6 billion and 10 billion dollars and a total process lasting at least seven years.
Díaz-Canel insists on investor optimism
In contrast to that diagnosis, the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel has intensified in 2026 his discourse of investor openness for Cuban businesspeople living outside the island.
On June 6, in an interview with the Spanish outlet elDiario.es, he stated that his government had offered Cubans abroad the opportunity to invest and that he was "sure that many will return to Cuba to continue their businesses."
Two days later, the regime expanded the message with an institutional campaign to attract investments from emigrants in sectors such as food, industry, energy, tourism, hotels, and small and medium enterprises.
The reaction from the diaspora was predominantly one of skepticism and irony, with criticisms aimed at the lack of real legal guarantees and the country's economic decline.
Specifically on social media, the Cubans responded with mockery to Díaz-Canel's optimism regarding investment possibilities, highlighting the deep-seated distrust accumulated after decades of unfulfilled promises.
The laws that the regime presents as guarantees
In terms of legislation, the regime has approved two regulations in 2026 that it presents as signs of openness.
The , published in the Official Gazette on March 3 and in effect since April 2, regulates partnerships between state enterprises and non-state actors —private micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises and cooperatives— under four modalities: limited liability mixed companies, state purchase of shares in private companies, absorption of private companies by state entities, and economic association contracts.
On its part, the , officially published in the Official Gazette on May 5, establishes the immigration status of "Investors and Businesses" for Cubans residing abroad, theoretically granting them the same rights as permanent residents on the island to invest directly without intermediaries.
Analysts and opponents point out that none of these measures addresses the underlying conditions that, according to Saladrigas, are the real obstacle
- absence of judicial independence
- state control of the economy
- lack of real guarantees for private property
As the businessman warned, without a rule of law to support investments, the regime's laws will continue to be meaningless.
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