Havana projects modest economic growth despite US sanctions and energy shortages.

Cuba has unveiled its updated 2026 Economic and Social Program, targeting a 1 percent GDP growth despite deepening economic challenges and a US-imposed energy blockade that has intensified pressures in the first quarter of the year.

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The program, published on the Soberanía platform and the official Cuban Presidency website, was drafted after consultations with over two million citizens across multiple sectors. Prime Minister Manuel Marrero highlighted on social media: “It is now up to each level to objectively update the actions to be developed, and for the Program to become a working tool, as a guiding thread to achieve the necessary economic transformations in the complex scenario that the country faces.”

Core goals include fostering a stable macroeconomic environment, increasing and diversifying external revenues, boosting domestic production, and integrating the private sector into the state socialist enterprise, defined as the “main economic actor.” While reaffirming the socialist model, the program recognizes that “it is unavoidable to do things differently” in response to changing circumstances.

Measures announced include permitting cash remittances, replacing the prior system tied to state bank accounts. The government also condemned the “ruthless” policies of the Donald Trump administration, which sought to “completely block fuel supply” and “reinstate the Monroe Doctrine.”

Cuba’s GDP has contracted 15 percent over the past six years, with a 4 percent decline recorded in 2025, a figure partially mitigated by the direct effects of the energy blockade. The program projects $3.829 billion in exports and emphasizes priority payments to creditors. Results from the public consultation, program implementation details, and any modifications during the year will be released in the coming days.

The updated plan reflects Cuba’s strategy to sustain its socialist economic model while navigating internal reforms and external pressures, highlighting a cautious path toward resilience and growth.

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