On Friday, analyst José Manuel González Rubines shared an insightful article on the platform Cuba X Cuba, debunking the comparison between recent Cuban economic reforms and the Soviet perestroika. He argues that these reforms lack the political dimension that marked real openness in the Soviet Union.
The article, entitled "Perestroika Without Glasnost: The Art of 'Ceasing to Be, to Continue Being'", emerges amidst the 176 economic measures introduced by the Cuban regime to the National Assembly on June 18, which state media labeled as "historic".
González Rubines highlights that Mikhail Gorbachev's perestroika was accompanied by glasnost, a policy that eased censorship, allowed public criticism of the state, and eventually led to partially competitive elections, undermining the single-party monopoly.
Such openness is entirely absent in Havana. The political structure remains unchanged, and the reforms focus on areas that benefit those in power—property and future business ventures, where the ruling class aims to transform public control into private assets, observes the journalist.
Aiming to Maintain Control
Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz inadvertently encapsulated this mindset: "do what is necessary to preserve what is essential". González Rubines, co-director of Cuba x Cuba, interprets this as economic adjustments serving the ultimate goal of retaining power.
The reforms are not driven by a genuine market-oriented approach. The Economist Intelligence Unit forecasts a 7.2% contraction in the Cuban economy by 2026, while the U.S. ties any potential easing of the embargo to political openness with electoral prospects. The emerging model, the analyst warns, mirrors the post-Soviet "crony capitalism," where the old Russian elite became property owners without relinquishing political control.
Suppressing Freedom of Expression
Meanwhile, the regime continues to suppress all forms of expression, digital or physical. Reporters Without Borders ranked Cuba 160th out of 180 countries in its 2026 press freedom index, noting that the Constitution, by reserving media for the state, effectively drives all non-official journalism underground, the analyst points out.
The Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression and Press documented 1,188 violations in 2025, a 54.7% increase from the previous year, and 386 arbitrary arrests, more than double those recorded in 2024. Its director, Normando Hernández, summarized the regime's approach: "The dictatorship doesn't reform its repressive practices; it perfects them," the article notes.
The persecution extends beyond borders. By the end of 2025, the regime threatened extradition and imprisonment for 18 directors of the independent outlet El Toque based abroad, disseminated their names and faces like police profiles, and launched digital attacks against the outlet, González Rubines recalls.
A Call for Action
The harassment also targets the young members of El4tico, detained in Holguín since February 6 on charges that could lead to up to nine years in prison, and activist Anna Bensi, under house arrest since March 25. On Thursday, Bensi declared on social media: "Silence is no longer an option. There's no time for gray areas. It's black or white. Freedom or dictatorship."
González Rubines concludes that what the world knows about Cuba today—the political prisoners, the blackouts, the corruption, the queues, the protests—is a civic achievement wrested from the regime by independent journalists and citizens who documented the reality "phone in hand," not a concession from the state. "Rather than witnessing the start of a transition," he writes, "we are facing a regime that, true to its instinct for self-preservation, aims to 'cease to be, to continue being'."
Understanding Cuba's Current Political Climate
What are the recent economic reforms in Cuba?
Cuba recently introduced a package of 176 economic measures intended to reform the economy. These measures, however, lack a political dimension similar to the Soviet perestroika, focusing instead on property and business interests aligned with the ruling class.
How does the Cuban regime suppress freedom of expression?
The Cuban regime penalizes all forms of expression, both digital and physical. The Constitution reserves media for the state, effectively outlawing independent journalism, as highlighted by Cuba's low ranking in press freedom indices and numerous documented violations of expression rights.
What is the significance of glasnost in the context of the Soviet perestroika?
Glasnost was a policy of information openness that accompanied Gorbachev's perestroika, allowing public criticism of the state, reducing censorship, and eventually leading to competitive elections, which weakened the single-party political monopoly.