Washington’s criticism, which demands much deeper changes, contrasts with the enthusiastic assessment of Mexico’s Sheinbaum.
14ymedio, Havana, June 20, 2026 — The United States described the economic reforms approved this Thursday by the Cuban regime as “smoke signals” and called for much deeper political and economic changes. Washington’s reaction contrasts with the support expressed by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who considered the opening to be an “important change.”
“These gradual ‘economic reforms’ are modest, long overdue, and ultimately amount to superficial smoke signals from the Cuban regime,” a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department told AFP.
U.S. authorities believe that Havana has once again resorted to a “typical strategy” of announcing “supposed reforms to create the illusion of a commitment to change, only to quickly reverse them whenever the regime’s total control appears threatened.”
Washington demanded “much more substantial economic and political reforms that make Cuba attractive to investors” and that provide its citizens with “the freedom, dignity, and opportunities they deserve,” added the official, whose identity was not disclosed.
The reaction is a cold shower for Havana, which presented the 176 measures as a profound economic transformation while insisting that the Government will not abandon socialism or allow the market to replace state planning.
Sheinbaum offered her support to Havana, although Mexico has complied with Washington’s demand not to send fuel to Cuba.
Among the proposals are the entry of private banks, direct investment in Cuban businesses by citizens living abroad, the possibility for a single owner to manage more than one company, and the elimination of the current limit of 100 employees for small and medium-sized private enterprises (mipymes).
The package also opens the door to the sale of state-owned properties to individuals and legal entities, domestic or foreign, and to the transformation of some public enterprises into commercial corporations with capital participation. However, the timelines, legal mechanisms, and specific conditions for implementing many of these measures remain unknown. Their similarity to Russia’s transition has raised concerns about a concealed appropriation of state assets by members of the current regime’s leadership.
Prime Minister Manuel Marrero stated during the extraordinary session of the National Assembly that the market will be recognized as “an instrument for the efficient allocation of resources,” an unusual formulation in official Cuban discourse. Meanwhile, Miguel Díaz-Canel made clear that the changes do not represent a break with the political model. “We are not renouncing socialism,” the ruler said before lawmakers unanimously approved the program.
While Washington received the measures with skepticism, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum praised the regime’s decision on Friday. “It is an important change in a decision that Cubans themselves are making to open their economy,” the president said during her daily press conference.
Sheinbaum particularly highlighted the possibility of attracting private capital and resources from emigrants. “They are doing it for investment, even calling on Cubans who left the Island long ago to invest in Cuba,” she noted.
The Mexican president also offered her government’s support to Mexican companies interested in participating in the opening. Her reaction maintains the line of political and economic support that Mexico has extended to Havana despite increased pressure from the United States, although it has complied with Washington’s demand not to send fuel to Cuba.
The former ambassador recalled that previous partial-opening processes ended up being halted by the official structures themselves.
A very different view was expressed by Ricardo Pascoe Pierce, who served as Mexico’s ambassador to Cuba between 2000 and 2002. The diplomat acknowledged that the measures could represent “a very radical transformation of the Cuban economy” and pave the way toward a market economy, but he doubted that the state apparatus would allow genuine competition.
“The real test is whether state enterprises will truly accept the existence of competition, a genuinely open market,” Pascoe said in an interview with W Radio.
The former ambassador recalled that previous partial liberalization processes were ultimately blocked by the official structures themselves. “The companies that have been created have always been successful, and the reaction of state enterprises is to prevent their continuation,” he explained.
Pascoe said that any real change will depend on whether Havana fulfills its promises and grants autonomy to businesses. He also questioned the possibility of attracting the necessary capital while the current political and legal system remains unchanged. “Who is going to invest under those conditions when there is no legal certainty?” he asked.
The U.S. response confirms that Havana’s economic concessions alone will not be sufficient to bring about a thaw with the Trump administration. Washington is demanding not only greater market liberalization but also political transformations that the Cuban regime has not included in its program.
For that reason, Trump recalled in an interview one day after the announcement of the reform package that he still considered “possible” a U.S. intervention in Cuba similar to the one that led to the capture, on January 3, of then-president Nicolás Maduro.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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