Cuban Economy to Remain Socialist, Says Bruno Rodríguez to The New York Times

In a rare exclusive interview with The New York Times, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla sat down at the Cuban mission to the UN in New York to discuss the nation's economic policies. While advocating for economic openness, he firmly stated, "Our economy will continue to be socialist, despite opening vast new opportunities for private capital, foreign investors, and companies from various countries."

This interview, conducted on October 26 and released on Thursday, comes amid a period of heightened diplomatic tension between Washington and Havana, marked by increasing sanctions and a week of direct confrontations at the United Nations.

With 17 years as the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under his belt, the 68-year-old Rodríguez admitted that he had never faced such intense U.S. pressure. However, he emphasized that the Cuban regime's strategy is simply to endure: "For as long as it takes. The United States' policy towards Cuba will change. It will have to change; it is inevitable."

Rodríguez argued that six decades of pressure have not broken Havana's resolve. "In these 60 years up to today, the U.S. policy against Cuba has not been effective. Meanwhile, Cuba's policy of resistance and adaptation in the face of aggression has been successful," he asserted.

Regarding the 176 economic measures approved in June—considered the most radical since 1959, including private banks and the sale of shares in state-owned enterprises—Rodríguez dismissed claims that they were a response to U.S. pressure. Instead, he framed them as necessary adjustments to global economic challenges, aligning with President Miguel Díaz-Canel's stance that these are not capitalist reforms but "necessary concessions" to safeguard socialism.

Rodríguez even extended an invitation to American companies to invest in Cuba, albeit with conditions: "The United States should not control sectors of the Cuban economy, but we welcome the presence of their companies, which we recognize as competitive."

The interview was published just days after a heated exchange at the UN between Rodríguez and U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz. During Waltz's speech, Cuban delegates began shouting and banging on the table, with one calling Waltz a "liar," prompting him to retort, "Go back to your seat! Do you understand who you are dealing with?" The incident led to the expulsion of Cuban diplomat Richard Tur de la Concepción by Washington.

On the same day, the annual UN resolution against the embargo received only 130 votes in favor — the lowest since 1995 — with 17 countries opposing and 25 abstaining, including Germany for the first time since 2002.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott labeled the Cuban government a "failed regime" that "continues to blame the United States and everyone else for its own incompetence and corruption." U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose call for recruiting informants in Cuba was dismissed by Rodríguez as "childish," was blunt: "We believe Cuba needs a drastic change."

Independent analysts question the viability of the regime's approach. Ric Herrero, director of the Cuba Study Group, painted a stark picture: "It's easy for Bruno to say they're enduring when it's the Cuban people suffering the consequences. The harsh reality is that Cuba is isolated. They can resist, but it's merely a controlled decline. Ultimately, they're heading towards a precipice."