Comedian Ulises Toirac has raised concerns that the 176 economic reforms approved by the Cuban regime could become a channel for Communist Party elites, the military, and the Interior Ministry to profit from resources that have cost the Cuban people "lives and miseries."
In a Facebook post, Toirac began by quoting the saying "In troubled waters, fishermen gain" and drew parallels with the collapse of the Soviet Union, noting how former regional secretaries of the Communist Party ended up as major shareholders of strategic resources.
He referenced the case of Vagit Alekperov, the former Deputy Minister of Oil and Gas of the USSR, who founded and privatized Lukoil in 1993, highlighting that academic studies estimate 43% of the initial Russian oligarchs came from the Soviet elite.
"I mention this because 30 years later, all of that has been studied and restudied. By everyone interested. And when I say 'interested,' I don't forget the 'intere$ted,'" he wrote, implicitly warning about the situation in Cuba.
The Rapid Approval of Economic Measures
The reform package—the most ambitious by the regime in decades—was swiftly approved: Díaz-Canel announced the emergency economic agenda on June 12, the Central Committee endorsed it on June 17 with Raúl Castro present via videoconference, and the National Assembly ratified it on June 18 and 19.
Toirac remarked on this rapidity with irony: "The measures, which are purely capitalist in nature, are going ahead. I have no doubt. And they're being implemented at lightning speed—just look at the Wednesday Central Committee, Thursday National Assembly, killing and curing."
Root Cause of Reforms: External Pressures
Toirac bluntly stated that the real catalyst for the reforms is not popular pressure or protests, but negotiations with Washington.
He noted that the U.S. government "continued discussions but kept tightening the screws," lamenting that there were no "exchanges" with Cuban society.
The actor acknowledged that the new laws "finally do not distinguish between Cubans and non-Cubans, whether inside or outside," calling it a positive step. However, he stressed the need for a specific requirement: an exclusion clause.
Demand for Exclusion Clause
"There are Cubans who, in my opinion, should be excluded from investing or participating in any way in creating businesses, companies, economic organizations, lenders, executors... NO FORM OF PARTICIPATION in the economic framework: those who are currently officials of the Communist Party from municipal to national levels, nor from the Popular Power, nor officers of the Armed Forces or the Ministry of the Interior nor any entities at those levels with those organizations. Nor their potential frontmen," Toirac demanded.
This warning is particularly significant as the approved measures allow for the purchase of shares in state-owned companies converted into corporations, potentially including the military conglomerate GAESA.
Ulises emphasized that there are resources that should not be exploited for personal gain because they are not private.
"I don't know if an exclusion clause needs to be made in the laws, I don't know if it goes against the Constitution where the privileges of the Communist Party are enshrined even above the Constitution itself... I don't know, it's complicated. But it's non-negotiable," he commented.
Toirac, who launched a satirical contest on Thursday to name the measures—with ironic prizes like solar plants and electric-generating bicycles—raised his voice toward an unequivocal political demand.
"If not, we will end up—as it has been secretly and on a smaller scale—with large or medium-sized entrepreneurs profiting from our blackouts, our lack of food, and our absence of medicines," he wrote.
He concluded his reflection with two words summarizing his condition to support any real opening: "Exclusion clause. And transparency."
Frequently Asked Questions about Cuba's Economic Reforms
What are the key concerns regarding Cuba's new economic measures?
Ulises Toirac warns that the reforms could allow the Communist Party elite and military to exploit resources meant for the Cuban people, leading to increased inequality and corruption.
What historical example does Toirac use to illustrate his concerns?
He compares the situation to the post-Soviet era, where former Communist Party leaders became major stakeholders in strategic resources, such as the case with Vagit Alekperov and Lukoil.
What is the proposed solution to prevent exploitation by party officials and the military?
Toirac suggests an exclusion clause that would prevent Communist Party officials and military personnel from participating in the economic reforms or profiting from them.