Cuban Food Crisis Declared National Security Issue by Díaz-Canel

On Wednesday, Miguel Díaz-Canel delivered one of the most striking statements of his tenure at the Extraordinary Plenary Session of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba. He proclaimed, "There is no sovereignty with an empty plate."

By making this declaration, the president and first secretary of the PCC elevated the issue of food for the Cuban people to a matter of national security. This statement came at the conclusion of a session that saw the approval of 176 proposals across 23 areas of economic and social transformation.

The plenary was held at the Palacio de la Revolución on Wednesday, with Raúl Castro participating via videoconference. The historic army general signed the document containing these proposals and cautioned, according to the state-run media outlet Cubadebate, that "the proper and timely implementation of these transformations is as important as their approval."

A special session of the National Assembly was convened this Thursday to formalize the reforms sanctioned by the PCC.

Food Security at the Forefront

Food security took center stage in Díaz-Canel's address, where he candidly acknowledged the severity of the crisis. He asserted, "The nourishment of the Cuban people will be treated as what it is: a national security issue," and emphasized that "the era of idle lands in Cuba must come to an end."

The president was clear about the fate of unproductive fields: "Every piece of land currently overgrown with marabú, which should be producing food, must have a clear solution: either it is put to productive use, or it is handed over to someone who will."

He announced the expansion of land grants to producers, cooperatives, small and medium-sized enterprises, and associative forms, acknowledging a longstanding debt to the peasantry: "Cuban farmers cannot be continually asked to produce more food with fewer resources and prices below their costs."

Those committed to verifiable agricultural outcomes will be allowed to import seeds, fertilizers, parts, and equipment directly, gaining access to foreign currency. "When Cuban agriculture becomes a path to prosperity for those who work it, the nation will be stronger, fairer, and more sovereign," he promised.

Social Protection Measures

Regarding social protection, the regime announced that the basic food basket will be assured for retirees, families with chronically ill children, and vulnerable individuals. It also promised support for social dining halls and nursing homes through the patronage of the business sector, offering solidarity quotas and cost-price meals.

This promise comes at a critical juncture. The dining halls of the Family Attention System are facing significant challenges: the SAF 0204 Villanueva in Boyeros has been cooking with wood for five months due to a lack of gas, serving 129 elderly diners for whom this meal is often their only hot dish of the day.

Díaz-Canel also criticized the price cap policy imposed by the regime itself: "In practice, price caps failed to curb inflation and often led to product shortages, diversion to the black market, higher prices, and lower tax revenue."

The government announced that this policy will not be continued in general.

Linking Energy and Food Crises

The president directly connected the energy crisis to the food crisis, stating, "Power outages mean a child cannot study for a test, food spoiling in a refrigerator, and an elderly person spending a sleepless, hot night," offering one of the starkest images of his speech.

An Urgent Need for Action

The figures supporting his speech are grim. The Food Monitor Program reported in 2026 that 96.91% of the Cuban population lacks adequate food access, with 33.9% of households having at least one member go to bed hungry in the past 30 days.

Cuba produces only 80,000 tons of rice annually while needing 600,000, and it imports between 70% to 80% of its food. The minimum pension is 4,000 Cuban pesos—less than $10 in the informal market—against a basic food basket estimated at 12,000 pesos per person per month.

In the days leading up to the plenary, critical voices demanded concrete answers. Intellectual Alina Bárbara López Hernández warned that "people are dying of starvation" and highlighted the urgency of the right to live, which not everyone in Cuba currently has guaranteed.

Actor Luis Alberto García called for leaders to suffer "just like those at the bottom," while broadcaster Laritza Camacho summed up public demand in three words: "Fill the pots."

The PCC approved the transformations on Wednesday, but public reaction has been largely skeptical of promises that 67 years of communist dictatorship have yet to turn into food on the table.