CUBA REVIEW: Private Enterprise Drives Change

Small and medium-sized enterprises have ceased to be a marginal experiment and have become a central player in Cuba’s economy. Today they encompass more than 10,000 registered private businesses and account for nearly one-third of employment, making them indispensable to daily life on the island. Yet their growth faces a dilemma: while much of Cuban society recognizes the private sector as proof that an alternative model is possible, the government still views it as a “necessary evil” to fill gaps the state cannot address. This tension was captured in our latest special report, published last week, which highlights the structural role of small and medium-sized enterprises and self-employment in Cuba’s economy, as well as the constraints they continue to face. The report has sparked debate both on and off the island, with voices echoing our call to unshackle private enterprise from Cuba’s bureaucratic straitjacket. In this edition, we also highlight CNN’s recognition of Cuban-American entrepreneur and CSG Young Professional member Adam San Miguel, founder of Cortaditos Coffee; the launch of our new Pensar Cuba podcast in collaboration with elTOQUE; and the latest developments in bilateral relations—from a U.S. court ruling that upheld the end of humanitarian parole to Cuba’s fifth nationwide blackout since last October.