Cuba’s Communist Party has approved a raft of unprecedented free-market measures as part of an emergency economic package. The approval occurred on June 18, 2026.
The emergency economic package was submitted to the country's National Assembly on Thursday. According to Al Jazeera reporting, the measure is described as “all but assured” to pass in that body.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel acknowledged that some of the island's economic problems “don't come from outside.” This statement was attributed by AFP and Reuters as a reference to foreign pressure campaigns. The context provided indicates this decision comes amid an ongoing US pressure campaign that has left the island nation reeling, though no direct quote from a US official is included in the source text.
The proposed plan would expand opportunities for private enterprise. According to Al Jazeera text which cuts off before detailing specific measures or attracting additional foreign investment specifics, these are part of the approved package.