Renowned Cuban writer and journalist Amir Valle, who has been exiled in Berlin since 2006, recently shared a video on his Facebook account describing Cuba as a "private estate of the Castros" where "people are dying of hunger." Citing data from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Valle argues that Cuba is now the poorest nation in Latin America, even ranking below Haiti.
This video follows a controversy sparked by Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, Raúl Castro's grandson, known as "El Cangrejo." He made headlines after offering to negotiate directly with Donald Trump over Cuba's future in an interview with USA Today published on July 6.
Valle dismisses this negotiation offer as anything but spontaneous. "He's merely playing the role assigned by the power holders—his own family—in the task of negotiating the price of this Castro-owned private estate that is Cuba," the writer asserts.
The Alarming Economic Reality
Valle bases his analysis on the ECLAC Statistical Yearbook 2025, which places Cuba's per capita GDP at a mere $1,082.8, compared to Haiti's $2,136 and a regional average of $10,212.2. "For those who doubted Cuba's slide into Haitian-like conditions, it is now poorer than Haiti," Valle declares. ECLAC also forecasts a -6.5% drop in Cuba’s GDP for 2026, marking the region's steepest contraction. Independent analysts predict even more severe downturns.
The writer attributes this calamity directly to the regime's policies, not the U.S. embargo. He points out that the 176 economic measures the government is currently touting should have been enacted years ago. Their delay, he suggests, stems from Fidel Castro's fear that Cubans producing their own wealth might discover freedom. "Fidel shut off the tap, forcing Cubans to rely on the state even for the air they breathed," Valle remarks, invoking George Orwell: a system where all are equal, but some are more equal than others.
Wasted Resources and Hidden Wealth
Valle paints a grim picture of resources flowing into Cuba without improving living conditions. He estimates that the country received billions annually through remittances, tourism, and the "rental" of doctors—a business the regime touted for decades as internationalist "solidarity." Meanwhile, Cuba’s external debt to countries like Russia, China, Spain, and Brazil has ballooned to $29 billion.
Valle raises a critical question: where did all the money go? From 2008 to 2022, medical missions generated over $120 billion, with over $64 billion unaccounted for, without GAESA providing any transparency, he claims. "We're talking about an estate where people starve while GAESA, the Castros' lucrative enterprise, reportedly has $18 billion stored in foreign banks," he states.
Skewed Investment Priorities and Health Crisis
The regime's investment priorities further underline Valle's argument. According to the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI) data cited by Valle, around 34% of Cuba's GDP is funneled into building hotels, whereas health care receives only between 9% and 12%. This has resulted in a healthcare system on the brink of collapse, a situation the regime blames on the embargo.
Valle's depiction of the crisis is backed by independent sources. The Cuban Observatory of Human Rights reports that 89% of Cubans live in extreme poverty. A survey conducted in May 2026 found that one in three families had at least one member who went to bed hungry.
In closing, Valle offers a stark historical comparison: "A country that, sadly, in 1959 was the third most powerful economy in Latin America but today, according to ECLAC, has surpassed Haiti in poverty, making it the poorest nation in all of Latin America."
Understanding Cuba's Economic Decline
Why does Amir Valle describe Cuba as a "private estate" of the Castros?
Amir Valle uses the term "private estate" to criticize the control and exploitation by the Castro family over Cuba's resources, where the general population suffers from extreme poverty and hunger while a select few benefit.
What economic data does Valle use to support his claims?
Valle references the ECLAC Statistical Yearbook 2025, which shows Cuba's per capita GDP as significantly lower than Haiti's and the regional average, and forecasts a -6.5% GDP fall for 2026.
How does Valle explain the current economic situation in Cuba?
Valle attributes Cuba's economic downfall to the regime's policies, particularly the delayed implementation of economic measures, rather than the U.S. embargo. He suggests that the Castros' fear of losing control over the populace's freedom led to economic stagnation.
What does Valle say about Cuba's investment priorities?
Valle criticizes the Cuban regime for allocating around 34% of its GDP to hotel construction while underfunding healthcare, which receives only 9% to 12%, leading to a healthcare system in crisis.