The economist Elías Amor describes the meeting held on August 26 between Miguel Díaz-Canel and representatives of the Cuban private sector as a "historic milestone," interpreting it as an unmistakable sign of the regime's weakness. In his view, the Cuban leader now needs the same businesspeople that the State pursued for decades to pull him out of the economic collapse.
The journalist Tania Costa, who interviewed Amor about the meeting, summarized the paradox with a phrase that encapsulates the economist's analysis: "They have gone from stealing all the properties from businessmen, to allowing them with a reluctant nod, and now to kneeling down to beg them to please produce more."
According to Amor, in the meeting —broadcasted by Cubadebate and not by Granma, a detail the economist emphasizes as politically significant— Díaz-Canel made a specific request to the private sector: to produce more food, to address the shortage of products, to improve the quality of life of the population, and to focus on providing solutions to the people's problems.
For the economist, that request reveals a profound ignorance of how the market operates. "Gentlemen, Díaz-Canel doesn’t have to explain that to the business owners. Díaz-Canel doesn’t understand. The goal of a business owner is precisely that, because if the business owner does not meet the needs of their clients and offers quality products at good prices, the clients won't buy from them," he stated.
Amor was more straightforward in assessing the episode: "Díaz-Canel has no idea about economics; I will repeat it endlessly. It's embarrassing to hear the president of a republic say things like that to business people."
The economist also points out that Cuban private entrepreneurs "haven't said anything for now," but believes that more than one of them was very displeased by the request.
In addition to the call to produce more, Díaz-Canel accompanied his speech with a warning: dirty business, corruption, and excessive profits will not be tolerated. Amor quickly dismantled that message. "The same as always. That message is written by some reactionary."
The contradiction between dialogue and simultaneous repression is glaring. On the same day as the meeting, 232 private businesses in Centro Habana were inspected, resulting in 15 permanent closures and over 360 fines for alleged violations of pricing and supply regulations.
The meeting took place in the context of partial reforms. In June 2026, the regime announced an emergency economic agenda with 176 measures that included the removal of the limit of 100 workers per mipyme and the possibility for an individual to own multiple businesses. In August, the Ministry of Internal Trade repealed regulations that restricted the wholesale trade of private Mipymes through the Resolution 15/2026, although state controls were maintained.
According to Amor, Cuban Mipymes have more leverage than ever and should take advantage of dialogue to demand real economic freedom. "There is no country in the world with a market economy where the business sector does not have an organized system to pressure governments," he warned, encouraging the private sector on the island to get organized.
The economist describes the meeting as just the beginning of a longer process: “This is the first round, because that boxing match will continue, and in the end, one boxer will fall to the ground.”
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