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The Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz posted on Thursday on his X account that the approved transformations to "revolutionize state enterprises" and expand the participation of the private sector "require bold entrepreneurs," in a call that sparked a wave of skepticism and criticism among Cubans.
The message, accompanied by an official institutional image of the Government, is part of the official communication campaign regarding the 176 economic and social measures approved by the National Assembly of People's Power on June 18 and 19, which the government considers the largest package of structural reforms since the Special Period.
"There are numerous opportunities that open up for talent and creativity," wrote Marrero, who has led public communication of the reforms both in Parliament and on social media.
The public reaction to Marrero's tweet was largely critical. One user pointed out that "they denied it, but in the end, they had to accept it," and added that "the terrible thing in this case is the high cost socialism has had for the Cuban people due to the whims of a single family and their accomplices."
Another internet user was more straightforward about the investment outlook: "There are no legal guarantees to protect investments. You do not respect international laws."
A third comment summarized the structural skepticism: "The state-owned Cuban enterprise and the private sector will never be able to work together. Investing in Cuba is economic suicide."
Marrero himself acknowledged before the National Assembly that Cuba is going through "the most complex context the country has faced since the special period," although he insisted that the reforms "do not represent a capitulation, but rather the sovereign adjustment of development tools to the specific circumstances of the country."
Among the most significant changes is the transformation of the state socialist enterprise into a trading company with shares or participations, which would pave the way for national and foreign private capital, as well as investments from individuals.
Of the approximately 2,800 companies in the Cuban business framework, only 300 are currently operating under that model.
The reforms also include that state-owned companies can set their own salaries and prices without higher authorization, create subsidiaries and small and medium-sized enterprises independently, and directly manage imports.
For the private sector, the cap of 100 workers for small and medium-sized enterprises (mipymes) is removed, the establishment of private banks is authorized, and a gradual elimination of the rationing booklet is set in place.
However, the official call clashes with a devastating economic reality. The informal dollar has risen from 435 pesos in December 2025 to 670 pesos on July 7; the minimum pension hovers around 4,000 pesos per month—less than 10 dollars at the informal exchange rate—and power outages exceed 20 hours a day in several provinces.
The regime also created the National Institute of State Business Assets (INAEES) through Decree 144/2026, an entity that oversees more than 2,000 state-owned companies, which economist Pedro Monreal described as the potential "gravedigger" of the Cuban business system, and which the organization Cubalex characterized as a mechanism for recentralization.
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