A 14-member Harvard working group has proposed a democratic roadmap for Cuba to escape its severe economic collapse and political stagnation. The plan rejects both unilateral U.S. sanctions and rigid Communist Party rule, calling instead for a negotiated transition, political amnesty, and private sector reforms. While the report highlights stark indicators like an 11% GDP drop and mass emigration, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez dismissed the proposal as U.S. State Department propaganda.
Harvard working group Cuba roadmap
- ▪The 14-member Harvard Working Group on the Future of Cuba includes former U.S. chargé d'affaires Jeffrey DeLaurentis, former Mexican ambassador Roberta Lajous, opposition figure Manuel Cuesta Morúa, artist Tania Bruguera, and economist Omar Everleny Pérez
- ▪A 14-member working group convened by Harvard University published a 20-page report on September 10, 2026, proposing a democratic roadmap and negotiated exit to resolve the Cuban economic and political crisis
- ▪The Harvard Working Group on the Future of Cuba roadmap proposes amnesty for political prisoners, dismantling repressive laws, lifting U.S. sanctions, expanding private sector reforms, reentering international financial institutions, and establishing a long-term constituent assembly.
Cuban economic collapse indicators
- ▪One-third of the Cuban population has emigrated over the past decade, an outflow the Harvard Working Group on the Future of Cuba report published on September 10 compares to nations experiencing civil war
- ▪Cuba has 1,300 political prisoners and ranks second worldwide in incarcerated population per capita behind El Salvador, with citizens facing daily 20-hour blackouts and severe food shortages.
- ▪Cuba's GDP fell by 11% and agricultural production collapsed by 60% between 2019 and 2024, according to official and independent figures cited in the Harvard Working Group on the Future of Cuba report published on September 10
US sanctions impact on Cuba
- ▪Former Mexican ambassador Roberta Lajous stated that U.S. sanctions and the U.S. embargo on Cuba have failed to topple the Cuban regime, instead serving to justify the existence of a single-party system and causing suffering for ordinary citizens
- ▪The White House imposed a de facto fuel blockade on Havana in January 2026 following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, worsening the Cuban economic crisis.
Communist Party governance failures
- ▪The Cuban government exported medical personnel to pursue hard currency, which emptied domestic doctors' offices and hospitals, while schools suffered from a lack of teachers.
- ▪The Cuban government concentrated state investment on building empty hotels, spending 11 times more on tourism infrastructure than on health, education, and social care combined.
Cuban government response to report
- ▪Alejandro de la Fuente, coordinator of the Harvard Working Group on the Future of Cuba, stated that while it may seem naive to expect Cuban authorities to negotiate, finding solutions remains the responsibility of the Cuban state.
- ▪Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez rejected the Harvard Working Group on the Future of Cuba report published on September 10, calling it propaganda designed by the U.S. State Department to confuse and manipulate the public
Debatable claims
- ▪The United States should end its economic embargo on Cuba
- ▪A Cuban democratic transition must include negotiations with the ruling government
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