The Cuban-American National Chamber of Commerce (CANCC) maintains an unwavering stance regarding the economic proposals of the Cuban regime: it will not invest in the island until there is a real political change. This was reaffirmed by Juan Omar Sixto, the president of the Chamber, in an interview with Tania Costa for CiberCuba.
"Until there is a transitional government, the Chamber of Commerce will not invest a dollar. We won't set foot in Cuba. That's the idea," Sixto stated emphatically.
The president of the new Chamber of Commerce outright dismissed the reforms that the Díaz-Canel regime has presented as signs of openness, including laws designed to attract capital from the diaspora. For Sixto, these initiatives are merely bait without substance. "Regardless of them now introducing some laws to guarantee this and that... No, that's the bait. We're not interested in that bait. That's just bait."
The businessman made these statements amid a regime offensive to attract foreign investment. On June 18, Díaz-Canel announced an emergency economic agenda with 176 measures that include opening up to foreign investment in small and medium enterprises, transforming state enterprises into joint stock companies, and creating private banking. The CANCC, founded in April 2026 in Miami, completely rejects this framework.
In the interview, Sixto also detailed the profile of the entrepreneurs who are already part of the Chamber, most of whom are from Pinar del Río. Among them are the Eiroa family, involved in tobacco in San Luis; Lombardo Pérez, an automobile dealer for Metro Ford; and the Costa family, whose company exceeds 6,000 employees and reports revenues of more than 1 billion dollars in the horticulture and plant sector.
He also mentioned the Concepción family, who operated gas stations in Cuba and today have businesses in real estate and vehicle repair in the United States; Manolo Menéndez, with decades of experience in construction; and Sixto Ferro, heir to the Conchita brand —guava, beans, and other products from Pinar del Río— whose company was confiscated by the regime.
The Chamber of Commerce also has members from other provinces. Sixto mentioned the businessman Somoano from Santiago de Cuba, who is involved in the automobile dealership, and Jorge Suárez Menéndez, a plastic surgeon from Havana who offers his property for the group's meetings.
The interest is not limited to the Cuban exile community in the United States. Sixto announced the participation of Federico Ramírez from HMS Corporation in Albacete, Spain —which distributes spare parts in 80 countries— who will attend the upcoming meeting regarding the stock exchange planned for Havana.
Ahead of that meeting, scheduled for July 22, Sixto revealed that he is currently working with 30 new families: "They are all individuals with considerable capital."
The strategy of the Chamber of Commerce deliberately targets large capital in its initial phase, aiming for a multiplier effect. "Cuba needs that kind of significant capital infusion. Because other exchanges and multinational companies will observe whether this chamber is truly dynamic, whether it has the investment grade, and that is vital," Sixto explained.
According to estimates by consultant Roberto Fernández-Rizo, $35 billion from the exile community are ready to invest in Cuba during the first year following a democratic transition, contingent upon real legal guarantees that the current regime does not provide.
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