US delegation presses Cuba to transition to market economy

State Department officials have reportedly warned Havana that it has a “small window” to implement reforms.

US officials have urged Cuba to transition from socialism to a market-based economy and compensate American citizens and corporations whose assets were seized in the 1960s, US news outlets reported on Friday and Saturday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

A delegation from the US State Department outlined the demands late last week during the first trip of the kind to Havana since 2016, as Cuba grapples with severe fuel shortages and blackouts following restrictions on oil shipments imposed by US President Donald Trump.

The US reportedly called on Cuba to implement economic reforms, expand the private sector, attract foreign investment, and release political prisoners. According to The New York Times, US officials also proposed bringing Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service to Cuba and allowing unrestricted connectivity.

Axios reported that Washington also urged Havana to allow greater political freedoms, eventually leading to “free and fair elections.” The outlet cited a US official as saying that “the island’s ruling elites have a small window to make key US-backed reforms before circumstances irreversibly worsen.”

Senior State Department official Michael Kozak confirmed on Thursday that the US is pushing for “drastic reforms” in Cuba. Trump, who previously threatened the island with invasion, has recently softened his stance, suggesting that Washington could help Cuba address its economic hardships.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel told RT on Saturday that the country is not afraid of a war with the US. He stressed that Havana is open to dialogue, but only on equal footing and without coercion.

Image credit: JF Martin