Díaz-Canel Urges Urgent Cuba Overhaul as 30-Hour Blackouts Push Economy to Brink
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 18
Díaz-Canel Urges Urgent Cuba Overhaul as 30-Hour Blackouts Push Economy to Brink
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 18
Summary
Miguel Díaz-Canel told Communist Party leaders Cuba needs urgent economic changes, calling for steps that "cannot be postponed" in his bluntest acknowledgment yet that the current model must be overhauled.
China and Vietnam were cited as possible templates as Havana fast-tracks measures to expand the private sector and open the economy enough to generate wealth while preserving equal distribution.
30-hour power cuts, along with shortages of food, fuel, drinking water and medicine, have deepened since a US oil blockade imposed by Donald Trump in January pushed the island's already weak economy toward collapse.
Díaz-Canel also blamed internal failings—bureaucracy, slow decisions and rules that hinder production—signaling the crisis can no longer be attributed only to the decades-old US embargo.
Raul Castro backed the proposals as the most beneficial option for the revolution now, though it remains unclear whether any opening would satisfy Trump, who wants Cuba's economic model changed.
Will Cuba's last-ditch reforms satisfy US demands, or is the crisis set to deepen?
Can Cuba's economy truly open while its military still holds the keys to wealth?
Cuba in Crisis 2026: Blackouts, Shortages, and the Impact of the U.S. Oil Blockade
Overview
In early 2026, the United States imposed an oil blockade and broader sanctions on Cuba, triggering a rapid humanitarian and economic emergency. As the crisis deepened, the UN warned that Cuba could collapse, highlighting the severity of the situation. The blockade led to a severe energy crisis, causing widespread rolling blackouts that left homes, businesses, and public facilities without power. This disruption made daily life difficult and reduced productivity. At the same time, shortages of food, potable water, and essential medicines became widespread, threatening public health and forcing Cuban families to struggle for basic necessities.