The Cuba Briefing

The news shaping the new Cuban economy

Curated intelligence on the developments shaping Cuba's economic and regulatory environment, with analysis of the investment significance of each development. This is a preview of the intelligence provided in full to members.

Updated June 2026 · Curated by Mi Habana es así
Reform18 June 2026

Cuba passes 176 reforms, including private banks for the first time since 1959

In the biggest economic shift since the revolution, Cuba's National Assembly approved private banking, free hiring, imports and exports without state intermediation, and the right of Cubans abroad to invest and own companies.

Investment significance

These reforms establish the regulatory foundation for private banking, diaspora investment, and foreign capital access, the elements required to convert a business concept into an operating enterprise.

PBS NewsHour
DiasporaMarch 2026

Cubans abroad can now own and invest in businesses on the island

Cuba's economy chief confirmed that nationals living overseas will be formally permitted to own and invest in private businesses, channeled through the foreign investment framework.

Investment significance

This reform formally recognizes the diaspora as an investor class, opening a significant new channel for capital formation in the private sector.

NBC News
TourismQ1 2026

Tourism falls to its lowest level since 2002, and Cuba turns to the diaspora

Cuba closed 2025 with 1.81 million visitors, and first quarter 2026 arrivals fell 48 percent. In response, the government is opening hotel leasing and tourism ventures to Cubans abroad.

Investment significance

A distressed tourism sector presents structured entry points alongside the downside risk. Hotel leasing and partnership arrangements opened to the diaspora represent a defined class of investment opportunity in the sector.

Cuba Headlines
Energy2025 to 2026

Cuba races to build solar capacity as blackouts deepen

With chronic power cuts and the loss of cheap Venezuelan oil, Cuba has prioritized renewables, with dozens of photovoltaic parks under construction and a target above 1,000 megawatts of new daily capacity.

Investment significance

Energy is the principal operational constraint for private enterprise on the island, and the largest single investment theme within the current reform period.

IndexBox
Policy1 May 2026

The United States tightens its embargo as Cuba opens

A May 2026 executive order reinforced the embargo and exposed foreign banks that process transactions for designated Cuban entities to secondary sanctions, a material constraint for any party transacting across the border.

Investment significance

Regulatory compliance remains a critical operational requirement for all parties engaged in Cuba-related transactions, particularly those involving cross-border payments and designated entities.

Squire Patton Boggs
Economy2026

The depth of the crisis is what compelled the opening

With the economy contracting sharply amid fuel shortages and blackouts, the reforms are a response to necessity. That structural pressure distinguishes the current measures from prior declarations of intent.

Investment significance

The current reform period represents a significant early-entry window for investors and businesses prepared to navigate the regulatory environment ahead of broader recovery.

Euronews

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