Yusuam Palacios: A Surprising Perspective on Saving Fidel's Revolution with Both Rich and Poor

In a surprising statement during the Third Extraordinary Session of the National Assembly of People's Power (ANPP) on Friday, Cuban deputy Yusuam Palacios declared that Fidel Castro's revolution can also be preserved with the help of the "rich." His comments were broadcast live from the Palace of Conventions in Havana by Canal Caribe.

The session was convened to discuss and endorse a comprehensive package of 176 economic transformation measures put forth by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, in the face of Cuba's most severe crisis since the Special Period of the 1990s.

Palacios, who represents the municipality of Sagua de Tánamo in Holguín, argued that the Cuban homeland and socialism can be saved "with all men and women, both the educated and those perhaps less so, with Cubans inside the country and those abroad, too."

The statement that caught everyone's attention was when he said, "with the poor, and with those who today might even be called, and let's not fear the word, rich, as long as they are dignified and comply with the primary law of our Republic, which is the veneration of Cubans for the full dignity of man."

Explicitly mentioning the "rich" as saviors of the revolution is unusual in Cuban official discourse, which has long defined its identity solely as a cause of and for the humble.

A New Interpretation of Revolutionary Ideals

Palacios attempted to anchor his argument in the figures of José Martí and the upcoming centennial of Fidel Castro, which the regime will commemorate in 2026. He pointed out that "our essence, as a revolution, as socialism, is rooted in Martí and Fidel, one the master, the spiritual guide of the nation, who cast his lot with the poor of the earth; his greatest disciple, about to turn 100 [...] Fidel, always told us, and thus it must be, that our revolution is of the humble, by the humble, and for the humble."

The tension between this declared legacy and the reforms under discussion in the same session is evident. Among the 176 measures is the unprecedented authorization of private banking institutions since 1959, the creation of private exchange houses, the removal of the 100-worker limit for small and medium-sized enterprises, and the transformation of state enterprises into joint-stock companies with participation from natural persons and non-state actors.

Addressing Barriers to Progress

Miguel Díaz-Canel himself acknowledged during the Central Committee Plenum of the Communist Party, "There are obstacles that don't come from outside or from blockades. There is slowness, bureaucracy, regulations that hinder those who want to produce, and decisions we have postponed." He asserted before the ANPP, "We are not abandoning socialism."

Palacios is no stranger to Cuban social media. In April 2026, one of his speeches at the Patria Colloquium sparked widespread mockery and comparisons to comedian Cantinflas, and in January 2023, he was removed from his position as president of the Martiano Youth Movement, although he retained his parliamentary seat.

The extraordinary session featured the virtual participation of Army General Raúl Castro and the physical presence of Díaz-Canel. The regime presents this as the most significant economic reform effort in decades, framed in the year declared as the "Year of the Centennial of Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz," with celebrations culminating on August 13, 2026.