Cuban Leadership Admits Need for "Well-Structured Economic System" to Build Socialism

In a statement met with skepticism and irony, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel declared on Friday that "establishing socialism requires a well-structured economic system." This revelation came during the closing ceremony of the IX Congress of the National Association of Economists and Accountants of Cuba (ANEC), held at Havana's Convention Palace.

While the event was touted as a platform for technical and proactive analysis, it was dominated by ideological slogans, defense of the current model, and calls for resilience against "the empire's aggression." Meanwhile, millions of Cubans grapple with a reality of inflation, shortages, and hopelessness.

The state-run newspaper Granma reported that Díaz-Canel insisted the document discussed at the congress should serve as a "working guide" to support the "Government Program for correcting distortions and revitalizing the economy." Rather than inspiring confidence, this statement seems to confirm what many citizens experience daily: a nation without a clear economic direction, subjected to haphazard measures that have exacerbated the crisis.

From monetary unification to the failure of commerce in freely convertible currency, to the brain drain of economic talent into the private sector or abroad, Cuba has felt the impact of what many experts deem ineffective management. Now, the president acknowledges that "the economy cannot remain an area of improvisation" and must become "science applied to justice."

Economic Challenges and Government's Stance

For the government, strengthening state-owned socialist enterprises, reducing the fiscal deficit, organizing the exchange system, and combating corruption aren't merely technical reforms but "trenches of the Revolution." However, for the average citizen, these measures have failed to halt the decline in purchasing power or reverse the deterioration of basic services.

The official discourse continues to blame the U.S. embargo as the main cause of the economic disaster, neglecting to offer any substantial self-criticism of the centralized economic model and the stifling state control. No mention was made of the impact of repression, censorship, or lack of economic freedoms on the current situation.

Some ANEC delegates emphasized the need for objective economic analyses, avoiding improvisation, and fostering genuine feedback between technical proposals and political decisions. Yet, the space for dissent remains limited, and the congress concluded with a Political Declaration reaffirming support for the regime and denouncing "disinformation campaigns" against its "achievements in social justice."

The Growing Disconnect Between Regime Promises and Reality

This isn't the first time the regime has resorted to slogans and promises to justify its model. On previous occasions, Díaz-Canel has even quoted Lenin to urge "patience" in building socialism, while continuing to blame the U.S. embargo for all woes. However, the increasingly skeptical population responds that what exists in Cuba is not a developing socialism, but an obsolete, impoverishing system.

Past statements, such as Fidel Castro's 1990 claim that more people would come to see Cuba's social development than enjoy its beaches, have resurfaced on social media as ironic reminders of the chasm between official rhetoric and reality: accumulated garbage in the streets, crumbling buildings, and thousands of families separated by migration.

The absence of tangible results, combined with an official narrative increasingly detached from the public, has left many Cubans with one sure conclusion: you can't live on slogans alone.