Havana — Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel announced a series of economic reforms on Friday aimed at attracting investment, increasing economic participation by Cubans living abroad, and decentralizing parts of the country’s administrative structure. While the president did not provide detailed information or a timeline for the measures, he emphasized the urgency of change, stating that Cuba can no longer continue on its current path.

In remarks broadcast by state media, Díaz-Canel described the ongoing crisis as an opportunity for growth, highlighting that a set of priorities has been established to address the situation. However, he refrained from specifying the exact nature of the reforms. The announcement arrives amid persistent fuel shortages and food insecurity exacerbated by tightened U.S. restrictions on Cuban oil imports implemented in January. These sanctions, part of a broader U.S. effort to pressure Cuba toward political and economic liberalization, have intensified difficulties the country has faced for several years.

Díaz-Canel mentioned that authorities are reviewing potential changes related to foreign trade, exports, supply chains, and logistics. He suggested the possibility of removing mandatory state intermediaries from import and export processes and offering tariff incentives to those importing raw materials for domestic production.

Reactions from economic observers have been mixed. Pedro Monreal, a Cuban economist based in Spain and former UNESCO official, critiqued the current proposals on social media, arguing that the economic challenges are fundamentally mathematical and not simply a question of political will. He highlighted the collapse of Cuba’s centralized economic planning model and noted that the country faces a choice between accepting the political consequences of failure or implementing deep, self-critical reforms to transform the system.

Cuba’s economy has traditionally operated under a centralized, state-controlled framework. Over the past decade, however, incremental changes have taken place, including the introduction of permits for independent workers and more recently the legalization of small- and medium-sized private enterprises.

On the same day as Díaz-Canel’s announcement, a ship carrying nearly 100 tons of humanitarian aid docked in Havana from Colombia. The cargo included nonperishable food, medicines, hospital supplies, electrical materials, and solar panels, dispatched under orders from Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s administration. The shipment also contained seven tons of goods collected by solidarity groups. This delivery follows another recent arrival of 1,700 tons of essential supplies from Mexico and Belize.

Cuba produces approximately 40% of its oil needs and remains heavily reliant on imports. The U.S. administration has warned countries against supplying oil to the island, a policy that has intensified Cuba’s energy crisis and contributed to widespread power outages. Washington has linked the easing of sanctions to political reforms, including the release of political prisoners and broader steps toward economic liberalization. The U.S. State Department declined to comment on Díaz-Canel’s recent statements, referring back to its earlier sanctions announcement.