Cuba expands private sector access to mitigate U.S. sanctions

President Miguel Diaz-Canel emphasized that these changes do not signal a move toward predatory capitalism or the wholesale privatization of strategic assets. According to the government, healthcare, science, and essential national services remain strictly under state control. However, the legislation marks a departure from decades of centralized management, particularly within the energy, agriculture, and tourism sectors.

Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz confirmed that the government has already authorized the first foreign investment venture for fuel imports, with nearly 200 local businesses now permitted to handle wholesale fuel distribution. This shift follows a dual-track policy from Washington that seeks to weaken state entities while simultaneously opening channels for private fuel exports.

To address severe shortages and infrastructure decay, the assembly introduced measures to streamline land-use rights for both domestic and foreign producers, aiming to revitalize an agricultural sector where the state currently retains 80% of land ownership. Additionally, the government is relaxing restrictions on private tour operators and car rental companies to revive a tourism industry that has seen three-quarters of its hotels shuttered by flight cancellations and sanctions. A new, specially regulated Economic Development Zone has also been established to attract foreign investment in health tourism, while private entities are now permitted to import medications to alleviate pressure on the struggling state pharmacy system.