Advocate for the Regime Claims Vulnerable Cubans Will Remain Protected

Lucía Céspedes Ocampo, a Cuban resident in Tenerife known for her viral videos defending Cuba's regime from Spain, recently posted a new video on Facebook. In it, she argues that economic reforms in Cuba will not worsen inequality, provided that the socialist state mandates companies and entrepreneurs to invest part of their profits in the most vulnerable citizens.

“The gap in inequality won't widen. The socialist state must ensure that businesses, entrepreneurs, MIPIMES, TCPs, and large corporations entering the country contribute a portion of their earnings to support our vulnerable citizens, as has always been the practice, and more so now,” Céspedes declared.

How many times throughout Cuba's history have we heard the same rhetoric from staunch defenders of tyranny?

Céspedes' comments come just four days after the regime approved a set of 176 economic transformation measures. Introduced by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz to the National Assembly on June 19, these measures include, for the first time, the authorization of private corporate banking, private exchange houses, and direct foreign investment in small and medium enterprises.

In her video, Céspedes argues that if private capital takes control of significant sectors of the economy, the state can focus its resources on raising the salaries of teachers, doctors, and government employees.

“If there are companies, foreign capital, or Cuban capital that can manage important sectors of the economy through private initiatives, the state can then focus on increasing salaries for teachers—crucial. Raising pay for doctors, and boosting salaries for government workers,” she explained.

The Cuban compares the model she advocates for with those of China and Vietnam, summarizing it as “market yes, capitalism no.” She dismisses concerns that investments might “drain the country's resources,” claiming that “the Socialist State must ensure this, which is the reason behind the Cuban revolution.”

However, her optimism is at odds with the stark reality on the island: inflation hit 31.9% in the first quarter of 2026, the Cuban peso was devalued to 685 pesos per dollar in June, and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL) projects a 6.5% drop in GDP for this year, marking Cuba as the worst-performing economy in Latin America for the second consecutive year.

Even the regime acknowledged this Tuesday, through one of its leaders, that the reforms would exacerbate social inequalities on the island. Meanwhile, a Cuban deputy defended the measures, stating, “We cannot distribute poverty; we must generate wealth.”

Céspedes' apparent contradiction is hard to miss: from Tenerife, she organizes the purchase of rice, beans, oil, and hygiene products for the elderly in Cuba, implicitly admitting that the state she supports cannot provide the basics for its citizens.

According to the Food Monitor Program, nearly one in three Cuban households reported in May 2026 that a family member went to bed hungry in the previous 30 days, and 79.75% of respondents blamed the shortages on poor state management, not the U.S. embargo.

Last April, Céspedes called for support of the regime's official campaign “Mi firma por la Patria,” organized by the Communist Party to mark the 65th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs victory. She went viral for shouting “Long live Cuba, long live my president Díaz-Canel” while hurling insults at the Cuban exile community from Spanish soil.