In a recent defense of the salary hikes, Miguel Díaz-Canel claimed the move highlights his regime's commitment to supporting the most vulnerable segments of the population. However, a closer look at the details in the Official Gazette reveals that the increase extends beyond low-income workers and retirees.
The new salary scale, approved by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, benefits 32 occupational groups within the budgeted sector, including "cadres," a term used for officials responsible for managing state institutions and executing the policies of the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) and the government.
The Impact of the Salary Increase
Resolution 15/2026 specifically places these cadres between groups XVII and XXII on the salary scale. With the new measure in place, their base salaries for a 44-hour workweek will now be:
Group XVII: 7,045 pesos. Group XVIII: 7,350 pesos. Group XIX: 7,735 pesos. Group XX: 8,115 pesos. Group XXI: 8,500 pesos. Group XXII: 8,880 pesos. Previously, these groups earned between 4,610 and 5,810 pesos monthly.
This adjustment is part of a package of 176 economic transformations approved by the National Assembly, positively affecting over a million workers in the budgeted sector. While the government has highlighted the increase in the minimum wage—from 2,100 to 3,210 pesos—the Gazette confirms that the adjustment impacts the entire salary hierarchy.
Thus, not only do those in lower tiers see their incomes rise, but so do the leadership positions within the state apparatus, tasked with implementing the regime's directives and policies.
Understanding the Role of "Cadres"
In Cuban political discourse, a 'cadre' is not just a director or manager. The legislation and internal PCC documents define cadres as leaders chosen for their political reliability, tasked with steering institutions, agencies, and state enterprises, as well as ensuring the implementation of directives from the Communist Party and the government.
Directors of schools, hospitals, state enterprises, administrative bodies, and other public institutions all form part of this leadership structure, which is also subject to ongoing political evaluations.
Beyond the official definition, the concept of a 'cadre' has become tarnished among many in the population. For numerous Cubans, it represents a rigid bureaucracy, heavily ideologized and more focused on adhering to political directives than addressing everyday citizen issues.
Social media and public conversations are rife with criticism of leaders viewed as inflexible, out of touch with reality, thriving amid scarcity, excessively loyal to the Party hierarchy, unresponsive to popular demands, and in some cases, prone to the abuse of power associated with certain positions.
Díaz-Canel's Response to Cadre Criticisms
Miguel Díaz-Canel has dedicated significant portions of his speeches in recent years to addressing the cadres. In 2019, he urged them not to be "timid and slow," calling for leaders with "revolutionary enthusiasm" and political sensitivity.
In 2024, following a corruption scandal that rattled the regime's economic leadership, he urged cadres to act with "ethics" and avoid bureaucratic and insensitive responses to the population. By January 2026, during the Communist Party's extraordinary plenums, he once again placed a significant portion of the blame for the country's crisis on them, stating that party members should feel responsible for "everything that goes wrong."
The regime's concern for its cadres also stems from another phenomenon that authorities have publicly acknowledged: the progressive deterioration of communist militancy. In recent years, PCC leaders have admitted a decline in new member recruitment, the existence of numerous centers without party cells, and the growing reluctance among many young people to join either the Union of Young Communists or the Party.
In this context, the cadre structure remains a crucial pillar supporting the daily functioning of the Cuban state.
A Contrast with Official Rhetoric
The inclusion of cadres in the salary increase contrasts with the rhetoric employed by Díaz-Canel to present the measure. While the leader claimed the increase demonstrates the regime's intent to protect those facing the greatest economic hardships, the resolution approved by the Ministry of Labor extends the benefit across the entire budgeted sector's salary structure, including leadership roles.
The increase keeps almost the same percentage for all groups in the scale, around 53%, meaning cadres don't receive preferential treatment compared to other workers. However, since they start from higher salaries, they also receive larger absolute increases.
The announcement has sparked numerous reactions among CiberCuba readers, many of whom question the indiscriminate extension of the raise across the entire state structure at a time when the minimum wage still equates to less than five dollars a month in the informal market, and the cost of basic goods like oil, eggs, or chicken far exceeds the purchasing power of a significant part of the population.
For many Cubans, the debate no longer revolves solely around the percentage increase but rather the priorities of public spending in a country where the economic crisis, inflation, and the deterioration of basic services continue to define daily life.
Key Questions About Cuba's Economic Measures
Who are considered "cadres" in Cuba?
In Cuba, "cadres" are officials chosen for their political reliability. They manage state institutions and implement the policies of the Cuban Communist Party and government.
How does the salary increase affect different occupational groups?
The salary increase benefits 32 occupational groups, including cadres. It affects the entire salary hierarchy, from low-income workers to higher-ranking officials, with an average increase of around 53%.
What criticisms have been made about this salary increase?
Critics argue that the salary increase benefits the entire state structure indiscriminately, while the minimum wage remains low, and basic goods remain unaffordable for many Cubans.