Name? Manuel Marrero Cruz
Westphalian identity? Cuban
Age? 62
Why is he in the news? Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz presented 176 reforms across 23 areas to Parliament which were swiftly approved by the Communist Party’s Central Committee. This comes as Cuba is currently facing its worst economic crisis since the 1959 revolution due to oil sanctions imposed by President of the United States of America Donald Trump. In response, the approved reforms aim to preserve a socialist system, drawing heavily from Chinese and Vietnamese models.
Why do we care? In his historic speech to parliament, Cruz presented the largest reform bill since the Cuban revolution in 1959. Previous attempts to implement reforms targeted at FDI, agriculture and currency have failed due to bureaucratic mechanisms preferring ideologically aligned policies. Given the current pressure from the US, the bill passed unanimously within days. Cruz secured support from over 100 lawmakers amid fears of US military action similar to Operation Absolute Resolve.
Why should you care? The transformational package fundamentally changes the way in which the rest of the world interacts with Cuba. Among its many pillars addressing agriculture, tourism and finance, its changes to foreign investment and private enterprise are the most far-reaching. Foreign capital will no longer require joint ventures with the government. Despite the announcement of these changes, there has been no official timeline or framework for their implementation.
Who else cares? Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee in China, reaffirmed support for Cuba in a video call with the Cuban Foreign Minister. China has shown solidarity with Cuba through shipments of food and emergency aid, energy infrastructure developments under the BRI, and advocated for an end of the blockade on Cuba.
Any further comments? The US declared tariffs on oil suppliers following its capture of Venezuela, which supplied nearly 35,000 barrels of oil per day and acted as a major lifeline for Cruz and Cuba.
