{
  "id": 9200899,
  "title": "Harvard’s Blueprint for Cuba’s Survival and Future",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/harvards-blueprint-for-cubas-survival-and-future",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-22T21:20:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Colombia One",
    "slug": "colombia-one",
    "url": "https://colombiaone.com/2026/09/22/harvard-cuba-report-2026/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In September, Harvard's Working Group on Cuba's Future unveiled a report aimed at guiding the island nation out of its multifaceted crises. The collaborative effort by the Cuban Studies Program and Afro-Latin American Research Institute scrutinizes the primary factors fueling Cuba's current predicament and suggests strategies for economic revitalization, political transformation, and enhanced collaboration with the private sector and Cuban diaspora. Harvard emphasizes that the document is a dynamic resource, subject to updates and alterations.\n\nCuba is grappling with substantial economic, social, and political challenges. The island is facing frequent electricity outages, food and medication shortages, declining agricultural output, and rising emigration rates. Human Rights Watch has reported a potential population loss of approximately 10 percent over recent years, with independent analyses suggesting an even steeper decline.\n\nThe report specifically highlights economic mismanagement as one of Cuba's challenges. Historically, Cuba's economic weaknesses were partially compensated by external aid, initially from the Soviet bloc during the Cold War and subsequently through ties with Venezuela and other Bolivarian countries. However, the report contends that the demise of these support sources has unveiled fundamental structural flaws in the economy.\n\nThe agricultural sector in Cuba has experienced significant setbacks, exacerbating the nation's reliance on imported food. The U.S. Department of Agriculture revealed that production of several key crops plummeted sharply between 2016 and 2024, with sugar exports plummeting by 90 percent over the same timeframe. Meanwhile, Cuba's energy crisis has worsened, with reports of blackouts lasting up to 20 hours and fuel shortages that have disrupted electricity generation, transportation, healthcare, and other vital services.\n\nThe U.S. has intensified its economic pressure on Cuba. Following the 2026 Trump administration's implementation of measures targeting fuel shipments to the island, Cuba remains categorized by Washington as a state sponsor of terrorism, further impeding fuel access and contributing to the energy crisis, according to both U.S. and international reports.\n\nThe report underscores the necessity of political reform as a cornerstone for Cuba's future. It contends that the economic difficulties cannot be detached from the political system and advocates for reforms to bolster the rule of law and civil liberties. The working group highlights the government's reaction to the July 11, 2021, protests, during which thousands of Cubans staged demonstrations against economic conditions and other grievances. Human Rights Watch estimates that hundreds of critics and protesters, including participants in those demonstrations, remain unjustly detained.\n\nThe working group suggests broad measures, including a general amnesty for political prisoners and the repeal of laws and decrees that limit freedom of expression, association, and artistic activities. Notably, it proposes Decree-Laws 349, 370, and 35. The report also addresses restrictions impacting Cubans residing abroad, citing practices that may impede activists and government critics from departing or returning to the country.\n\nIn terms of U.S. policy toward Cuba, Harvard recommends aligning political reforms within Havana with changes in U.S. policy. It advocates for the lifting of fuel supply restrictions if the Cuban government progresses toward political and legal reforms. The report also emphasizes the need for broader measures to stabilize the economy and encourage internal transformations. Harvard places particular importance on enlarging the private sector, which it considers an increasingly vital component of the Cuban economy despite facing substantial regulatory hurdles. It advocates for further agricultural liberalization, allowing private businesses and investors to engage more extensively in food production. The report also calls for a new relationship with the Cuban diaspora, envisioning their potential contributions in areas such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and tourism. It also emphasizes the importance of expanding political and economic ties between Cuba and its emigrant communities. Finally, the working group suggests Cuba's readmission to international financial institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank, as well as the legalization of private nonprofit organizations and the creation of transparent tax incentives for private philanthropy to attract additional resources for housing, healthcare, and education.",
  "summary": "Earlier in September, Harvard’s Working Group on Cuba’s Future released a report outlining potential steps to address the island’s deepening economic, social and political crisis. The report, produced by Harvard’s Cuban Studies Program and Afro-Latin American Research Institute, examines the factors contributing to Cuba’s current situation and proposes measures aimed at economic recovery,…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}