Story perspectives

Cuba says central planning exhausted, pushes market reforms

By Drooid · Sep 18, 2026, 6:19 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Carlos Fernández Demands Reform

Cuban diplomat Carlos Fernández de Cossío said Cuba’s central planning is exhausted and requires market reforms.
He accused the United States of waging an economic war and urged President Donald Trump to lift trade bans.
In June, Cuba approved 176 measures expanding private business, foreign investment, and banking participation.
The government freed 2,010 prisoners, yet Human Rights Watch says about 700 political detainees remain detained.

Summary

Kamal Kishore Visits Cuba

UNDRR Special Representative Kamal Kishore led a delegation to Cuba to study its disaster risk reduction model.
The team included regional chief Nail Arenas and Deputy Chief Saskia Carusi.
Cuban General Ramón Pardo Guerra received the delegation at the Defense Civil Headquarters.
Discussions focused on anticipatory actions for extreme weather and droughts, plus climate-change mitigation.

History

Historical Context

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Cuba entered the “Special Period,” with GDP falling about 35% by 1993 and sugar exports halving. Fidel Castro’s austerity spurred limited market reforms, while Hugo Chávez’s 1998 alliance later eased the crisis. Today diplomat Carlos Fernández de Cossío cites that legacy while UNDRR envoy Kamal Kishore studies Cuba’s disaster-risk model born from the same scarcity.

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Carlos Fernández Demands Reform

Cuban diplomat Carlos Fernández de Cossío said Cuba’s central planning is exhausted and requires market reforms.
He accused the United States of waging an economic war and urged President Donald Trump to lift trade bans.
In June, Cuba approved 176 measures expanding private business, foreign investment, and banking participation.
The government freed 2,010 prisoners, yet Human Rights Watch says about 700 political detainees remain detained.

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