The communist dictatorship of Cuba announced this Monday that it will allow Cuban citizens living abroad, including thousands in Miami and other cities in the United States, to invest in and become owners of private companies on the island.
The announcement seeks to attract fresh capital amid the severe economic crisis afflicting the country, as confirmed by the vice prime minister and minister of foreign trade and foreign investment, Óscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, in an exclusive interview granted to NBC News from Havana.
Pérez-Oliva Fraga, great-nephew of Fidel and Raúl Castro, stated verbatim that “Cuba is open to having a fluid commercial relationship with U.S. companies” and “also with Cubans residing in the United States and their descendants.”
#Cuba #EUA | Governo cubano busca atrair investimentos americanos
Em entrevista à NBC News, o vice-primeiro-ministro de Cuba, Óscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, anunciou uma mudança na postura comercial da ilha, diante da crise econômica que atinge o país.
Entre os principais… pic.twitter.com/KRtLN9J0J5— Atlas Militar | Conflitos Globais (@AtlasMilitarOf) March 17, 2026
The official emphasized that the measure “goes beyond the commercial sphere” and covers “not only small investments, but also large investments, particularly in infrastructure,” with an emphasis on sectors such as tourism, mining, and energy.
In this way, Cubans abroad will be able to participate in or own MSMEs (micro, small, and medium-sized private enterprises) without the need for effective residence on the island, a change that modifies decades of restrictions imposed by the regime on those who decided to emigrate.
This shift was anticipated on Friday by the Miami Herald, which cited anonymous sources regarding the imminent economic opening.
The same outlet confirmed the information on Monday following the NBC News interview. The announcement comes right after the president appointed by the regime, Miguel Díaz-Canel, admitted on national broadcast on Friday that Cuba maintains official conversations with the administration of President Donald Trump, a recognition that marks a turning point after years of denials by Havana.
The measure reveals the regime’s desperation to capture foreign currency in the face of the collapse of its centralized economic model, which has generated chronic shortages of energy, food, and basic goods.
Pérez-Oliva Fraga presented the reform as an effort to create a “dynamic business environment” that reactivates the economy, but independent analysts stress that it is a forced concession due to external pressure and the unviability of the socialist system.
We had previously reported it in Gateway Hispanic when Miguel Díaz-Canel admitted on national broadcast the conversations with the Trump administration:
About The Author
Joana Campos
Joana Campos es abogada y editora con más de 10 años de experiencia en la gestión de proyectos de desarrollo internacional, enfocada en la sostenibilidad y el impacto social positivo. Anteriormente, trabajó como abogada corporativa. Egresada de la Universidad de Guadalajara.
