Carlos Méndez, Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment of Cuba, gave a public interview to the media The National from Havana, delivering a direct message to the Cuban diaspora and the American business community: the doors of Cuba are open for investment.
The call comes a day after the Communist Party approved in an Extraordinary Plenary the 176 most ambitious economic measures of the regime in decades, which include private banking, the buying and selling of shares in state-owned companies, the entry of private capital into the energy sector, and the involvement of emigrated Cubans in the economy.
Carlos Méndez made an explicit invitation to foreign capital: "We want U.S. entrepreneurs to know and understand that Cuba is a country open to investment, that we have business opportunities in virtually all sectors of the economy, ranging from mining, tourism, real estate, to the banking and finance sectors."
Méndez was also straightforward about the political tensions: "There are differences between our governments that should not prevent that business community from participating in the Cuban economy."
Raulito, who does not hold an official position but is a lieutenant colonel in the MININT and a key figure in the informal contacts between the regime's leadership and Washington, extended the message to the diaspora: "We want Cubans living in the United States and other countries to know that in Cuba they have a space to invest, to invest securely, to invest with guarantees, to contribute to the development of Cuba."
The call for exile comes a day after the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel closed the Extraordinary Plenary with a phrase that resonated on social media: "Here you have your home and here you have the door open. Because this homeland at this hour does not have any good Cuban to spare."
Skepticism among Cubans, however, was immediate. On social media, the predominant reaction was: "Does anyone believe them?"
The backdrop makes it hard to overlook the urgency behind the gesture. Since January 2026, the Trump administration has imposed an oil embargo that prevents any country from supplying fuel to Cuba, resulting in blackouts that exceed 20 hours daily.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, warned this month that children are dying due to a lack of medication.
Raulito acknowledged the difficulty of the moment without changing his tone: "It is difficult, really difficult, to hold any kind of conversation, discussion, negotiation, or dialogue in a very hostile environment marked by coercive measures, threats, and attempts at conditioning and imposition."
Regarding whether negotiations with Washington have yielded concrete progress, the response was stark: "I would like to answer yes to that question, but the reality is no."
The regime also makes it clear that economic openness does not imply political openness. Méndez stated unequivocally: "We are not privatizing the economy; what we are doing is allowing greater participation from the private sector... and for that, we do not have, nor are we willing to transform the Cuban political system."
The model that inspires the reforms, according to Díaz-Canel, is that of China and Vietnam: market liberalization under a single party. The U.S. Vice President JD Vance responded cautiously: "Let's see what they do. If they make smart decisions, we will have a much better relationship with that island."
Professor William LeoGrande from American University points out that it is Secretary of State Marco Rubio who is leading the maximum pressure campaign, while Trump maintains more transactional instincts, something the regime seems to calculate in each of its diplomatic moves.
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