In response to the recent report from the U.S. Department of State, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla dismissed Washington's criticisms as "lies" and "provocations," accusing anti-Cuban factions of being "bereft of support" both inside and outside the United States. "The disrespectful and irresponsible publications from the State Department reflect the frustration of anti-Cuban sectors in their inhumane aggression against the Cuban people," the minister stated on his official X account, alongside an image of Miguel Díaz-Canel and Raúl Castro raising their arms.
Rodríguez contended that the advocates of this policy are "compelled to lie," utilizing U.S. taxpayer funds "to fabricate provocations" and enforce an "unjustifiable bilateral confrontation." His remarks came shortly after the release of a pointed official U.S. report that directly blames the Cuban regime for the severe economic and social crisis the country is enduring.
The document, shared on the ShareAmerica platform, asserts that "the crisis is not imported, it is manufactured," attributing the collapse of the Cuban economic model to decades of corruption, mismanagement, and repression. One of the most striking revelations in the report is that in 2024, the regime allocated more than 37% of the nation's total investment to the hotel and tourism sectors—over eleven times the combined investment in health and education—despite the collapse of hotel occupancy and urgent needs for medicine, food, and transportation.
Economic Mismanagement and Military Conglomerates
The report directly accuses military conglomerates such as GAESA, FINCIMEX, and CIMEX of profiting from these public funds, operating within an economic scheme that benefits the ruling elite while millions of Cubans face daily humanitarian crises. Additionally, Washington warns that the country's assets could be privatized in favor of the same officials currently in control, following a pattern akin to the Soviet collapse.
Cuban Government's Counter-Narrative
The Cuban Foreign Minister's reaction, featuring a massive image of support for the regime, aims to counter the U.S. narrative, which has urged the international community to denounce the "authoritarianism, corruption, and nepotism" on the island and amplify the voices of citizens demanding freedom, health, food, and electricity. "The Cuban people are resourceful and resilient, but even the world's ingenuity cannot overcome systems that prioritize power and propaganda over collective well-being," concludes the U.S. report.
Meanwhile, in Cuba, the deterioration of basic services, mass exodus, despair, and the silent rejection of a population surviving between official discourses and the harsh reality that becomes increasingly difficult to disguise, continue unabated.
Understanding the Cuban Crisis
What is the main accusation against the Cuban regime in the U.S. report?
The report accuses the Cuban regime of being directly responsible for the country's severe economic and social crisis due to decades of corruption, mismanagement, and repression.
How much investment did the Cuban regime allocate to the hotel and tourism sectors in 2024?
In 2024, the Cuban regime allocated more than 37% of the nation's total investment to the hotel and tourism sectors.
Who benefits from the public funds according to the U.S. report?
Military conglomerates such as GAESA, FINCIMEX, and CIMEX are accused of benefiting from these public funds, within an economic scheme that favors the ruling elite.