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The Cuban ambassador to Uruguay, Lissett Pérez, called on the Cuban diaspora to become promoters of the island's image in the world during the VIII Extraordinary Regional Meeting of Resident Cubans, held in Montevideo with delegates from nine countries. "We need to make the world fall in love with Cuba again, I am optimistic," said the diplomat according to the agency Comunas.
The meeting, organized by the Network of Cubans Residing in Latin America and the Caribbean with the participation of the Uruguayan Anti-imperialist Committee of Solidarity with Cuba, took place from June 27 to June 29 in the Uruguayan capital. The gathering concluded with the approval of a document called the "Montevideo Declaration," which calls for the exclusion of Cuba from the U.S. list of "State Sponsors of Terrorism" and affirms that "Cuba is not alone."
During his speech, Pérez appealed to what he defined as the "collective intelligence" of emigrants to drive investments in the island, particularly in the food and renewable energy sectors.
"The Cuban diaspora has very interesting potential. With creativity and commitment, it can connect with local counterparts and bring projects to the territories of the Island. It's a path we must accelerate," he assured.
The call comes amid the worst economic crisis Cuba has faced in decades. Between 2020 and 2025, the Gross Domestic Product contracted by 11%, while extended blackouts affect some provinces for up to 20 hours a day, and tourism fell from 4.7 million visitors in 2018 to just 1.8 million in 2025.
In that context, the regime —which for decades labeled those who left the country as "worms" and "traitors"— has intensified its efforts to attract capital from emigrants.
As part of this strategy, the Government put into effect on May 5 the Decree-Law 117/2026, which establishes a special migration status of "Investors and Businesses" for Cubans residing abroad. The process, managed through Cuban consulates, has a cost of 3,500 Cuban pesos.
Days later, on June 12, Miguel Díaz-Canel announced a package of 176 economic measures that includes, among other changes, the opening to private banking, currency exchange houses, and greater participation of foreign investment, including that from the diaspora.
However, the response from a significant portion of the exile community has been one of caution and skepticism. On June 6, the Cuban American National Chamber of Commerce was established in Miami, with its members stating that they will only invest in a free and democratic Cuba. Exile entrepreneurs have also expressed their willingness to mobilize up to 35 billion dollars, contingent upon a political transition with free elections and legal guarantees.
The Montevideo meeting took place in a context of tensions with certain exile sectors. Just a month earlier, a group of Cubans protested in front of the Cuban embassy in Uruguay to demand the release of over 1,260 documented political prisoners on the island. In response, Pérez referred to that sector of the exile as "heirs of those who promoted the exodus of talent and resources from the country" and accused them of fostering "a cognitive war based on discredit and demonization of Cuba."
The diplomat, who presented her letters of credence to the Uruguayan president, Yamandú Orsi, on June 10, concluded her speech by recalling historian Eusebio Leal and the restoration of Old Havana as a prime example of the country's potential.
"We must show the world that it is possible, that Cuba has a future, and that its creativity is its greatest strength," he stated.
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