U.S. slams Cubas economic reforms as 'superficial smokescreen'

The United States sharply criticised Cuba’s sweeping economic reform package on Friday, calling it a “superficial smokescreen” adopted the day before by the island’s National Assembly. In a series of coordinated statements, the US State Department dismissed the 176 measures—hailed by Havana as a radical overhaul—as “modest, long overdue and a superficial signal” from a government it accused of maintaining authoritarian control.

The Cuban parliament approved the reforms on Thursday, 19 June 2026, in a session broadcast nationwide. The package includes decentralisation of state enterprises, expanded private-sector rights, and currency unification measures aimed at addressing chronic shortages and inflation. Yet within hours, Washington had labelled the plan an “ecran de fumée,” echoing French, Dutch, and German media that described it as a “rookgordijn” or “Handbuch der Diktatur.”

A senior US State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters that the reforms “do not address the structural issues that keep Cubans in poverty.” The official added that Washington would “continue to exert pressure” through existing sanctions and diplomatic channels.

Cuban state media countered that the measures represent the most ambitious liberalisation since the 1990s “Special Period,” with President Miguel Díaz-Canel insisting they would “modernise socialism without renouncing its principles.” Economists inside and outside the country remain divided: some see the reforms as a pragmatic response to collapsing Soviet-era subsidies and US embargo tightening, while others argue they are cosmetic changes designed to placate international donors without ceding real power.

The timing of the US response—just 24 hours after the National Assembly vote—reflects the Biden administration’s hardened stance following months of stalled negotiations over human rights and migration. On Friday, the US also renewed its warning against Cuban military involvement in Venezuela, linking the two crises in a single policy statement.

Analysts note that the Cuban government faces a narrowing window to prove the reforms’ credibility. The International Monetary Fund has already signalled it will not disburse new credit until Havana demonstrates tangible steps toward market liberalisation and debt transparency. With the island’s foreign reserves depleted and blackouts returning to Havana, the stakes could not be higher.