An extraordinary session of the National Assembly is called to evaluate measures proposed by Díaz-Canel

The Council of State called for an extraordinary session of the National Assembly on June 18 to assess Díaz-Canel's economic reforms.



Cuban ParliamentPhoto © 5 de Septiembre Newspaper

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The Council of State convened this Tuesday for the Third Extraordinary Session of the National Assembly of People's Power in its X Legislature on Thursday, June 18 at 2:00 p.m. to analyze the economic proposals of the leader Miguel Díaz-Canel. 

The Agreement 599-X/2026, published in the Official Extraordinary Gazette No. 72, indicates that the purpose of the session is to evaluate the "Proposals for Economic and Social Transformations" that Díaz-Canel publicly presented on June 12, in what the regime has described as the largest announcement of reforms in years.

The announcement was signed by Juan Esteban Lazo Hernández, president of the National Assembly and the Council of State, based on Article 122, paragraph d) of the Constitution and Article 257, paragraph d) of Law 131 on the Organization and Functioning of the National Assembly.

The text of the agreement states: "To convene the Third Extraordinary Session of the National Assembly of People's Power in its X Legislature, on June 18, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., for the purpose of evaluating the 'Proposals for Economic and Social Transformations'."

The institutional process designed by the regime is remarkably fast-tracked: the public announcement of the reforms took place on June 12, the Political Bureau of the PCC convened an Extraordinary Plenary of the Central Committee for this Wednesday, June 17, and the parliamentary session was scheduled for the following day.

Díaz-Canel himself anticipated on Facebook that the measures would be processed "very swiftly" by the Political Bureau and then by the National Assembly, thus confirming the sequence of three steps in less than a week.

The proposals are organized around six key areas: economic management system, municipal autonomy, business autonomy, agricultural recovery, foreign trade and investment, and social policy.

Among the most significant points is the possibility for municipalities to directly import, export, and manage foreign investments, as well as greater autonomy for state-owned enterprises regarding wages, currency retention, and access to the foreign exchange market.

The plan also includes that Cubans residing abroad will be able to invest on equal terms with state-owned companies, cooperatives, small and medium-sized enterprises, and foreign capital, an opening that the regime had not formalized until now.

Other measures include the restructuring of the state apparatus with a reduction in ministries and administrative positions, incentives for the agricultural sector, and a gradual transition from generalized subsidies to targeted assistance for vulnerable individuals.

The regime presents these transformations as a response to the severe economic crisis the island is experiencing, worsened by years of centralized management and U.S. sanctions, although critical voices argue that they are insufficient given the magnitude of the collapse.

Thursday's session will be the third extraordinary meeting of the X Legislature of the National Assembly, an body that, in practice, ratifies the decisions of the Communist Party without real debate or internal opposition.

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CiberCuba Editorial Team

A team of journalists committed to reporting on Cuban current affairs and topics of global interest. At CiberCuba, we work to deliver truthful news and critical analysis.