An advisor from the Ministry of Domestic Trade (MINCIN) stated that Cuba has the capacity to create its own commercial franchises, citing the historic example of the DiTú café network, in statements captured by the official program Cuadrando la Caja last Tuesday.
Arturo Vázquez Hernández, an advisor to MINCIN, explained the concept during the television segment: "The DiTú has a brand; the DiTú from Granma was the same as the DiTú from Pinar del Río, even in terms of what was consumed, it was the same. In other words, you have the brand and behind it, you have a procedure. It's a franchise."
The official noted that the new trade policy approved in 2026 officially acknowledges this modality, and that the model can be applied in both the state sector and the private sector or with foreign capital: "When one talks about franchising, one generally thinks of it from abroad, but in Cuba we can also develop that commercial concept, that idea as that modality, because there are possibilities to do so."
The statements are part of the package of 176 economic and social transformations approved by the National Assembly in June 2026, with axis 19 covering commerce, gastronomy, and services.
The central legal instrument of this reform is the Decree 167 "On Domestic Trade", approved on August 7 and in effect since September 4, 2026, which authorizes the establishment of chains of stores and restaurants, recognizes electronic commerce, and formalizes sales in both Cuban pesos and foreign currencies.
Vázquez Hernández also acknowledged the profound difficulties facing the sector: "The sector suffers from a number of irregularities in its operations associated with indiscipline, associated with shoddy work, associated with bad practices that are evident, by the way, not only in the state activity but also in the non-state sector."
Regarding the distinction between management and ownership—a point that raises questions among the public—the advisor was explicit: "We are talking about management, not ownership. It may seem the same, but it isn't. Because ownership remains state-owned."
Vázquez Hernández acknowledged this tension by admitting that "unfortunately, in recent years we have lost the ability to sell essential goods in Cuban pesos," one of the most frequently voiced complaints by Cubans in light of an increasingly dollarized economy.
In the program, Rosa María Rizo Constantén, vice president of the wholesale food group of MINCIN, also participated. She revealed that Cuba consumed 40,000 tons of rice monthly to supply nine million people and social consumption, with one ton priced in the global market between 800 and 900 dollars.
Rizo Constantén further reported that the MINCIN is working on the opening of the first wholesale market in Havana, a space where various economic actors will be able to sell in bulk for Cuban pesos and foreign currencies, with exemption from financial requirements.
The reopening of the DiTú, however, has already revealed its contradictions in practice: in July 2026, a location in Sancti Spíritus opened with prices beyond reach for most Cubans —espresso at 200 pesos, croquettes starting at 1,000 pesos, and the "DiTú Board" at 4,500 pesos— illustrating the gap between official announcements and the economic reality of the population.
Filed under: