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LATIN AMERICA ADVISOR

LATIN AMERICA ADVISOR

A daily publication Of the dialogue

March 16, 2026

Will the Cuban Government Be Able to Placate Trump?

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has said the country needs “urgent” economic reforms amid intense economic pressure from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. // File Photo: duma.gov.ru via Wikimedia Commons CC BY 4.0.

Q

  • Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel on March 2 told the country’s Council of Ministers that Cuba needs “urgent” economic reforms, a statement that came amid escalating U.S. economic restrictions on Cuba, which have worsened fuel and food shortages on the island. Díaz-Canel’s remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump on Feb. 27 told reporters that his government is in talks with Havana, adding, “Maybe we’ll have a friendly takeover of Cuba.” What kind of economic reforms will Cuba’s government likely implement? To what extent can policymakers in Cuba feasibly take steps to alleviate the country’s fuel and food shortages? What’s the state of U.S.-Cuba relations, and what will ultimately result from U.S. pressure on Cuba?

A

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The Inter-American Dialogue publishes the Latin America Advisor every business day for a distinguished membership of informed corporate leaders, scholars, and government officials invested in Latin America’s development and future. The Advisor‘s highly regarded Q&A section covers questions submitted by subscribers themselves. Commentators regularly include heads of state, business leaders, diplomats, economists, analysts, and thought leaders from around the world. Many of the world’s largest and fastest-growing companies subscribe to the Advisor. To subscribe, click here. For terms and conditions, click here. For more information, contact Gene Kuleta, editor of the Advisor, at gkuleta@thedialogue.org.
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Diego Arria
Director,
Columbus Group

Merike Blofield
Professor of Political Science,
University of Hamburg

Devry Boughner Vorwerk
CEO,
DevryBV Sustainable Strategies

Joyce Chang
Global Head of Research,
J.P. Morgan

Marlene Fernández
Corporate Vice President for Gov’t Relations,
Arcos Dorados (McDonald’s)

Peter Hakim
President Emeritus,
Inter-American Dialogue

Donna Hrinak
Director,
Adtalem Global Education

Jon E. Huenemann
Council Member,
GLG Inc.

James R. Jones
Chairman,
Monarch Global Strategies

Craig Kelly
Senior Director,
Int’l Gov’t Relations,
Exxon Mobil

Barbara Kotschwar
Professor of Political Economy,
Georgetown University

John Maisto
Director,
US Education Finance Group

Nicolas Mariscal
Chairman,
Grupo Marhnos

Thomas F. McLarty III
Chairman,
McLarty Associates

Beatrice Rangel
Director,
AMLA Consulting

Ernesto Revilla
Head of Latin American Economics, Citi

Gustavo Roosen
President,
IESA

Andrés Rozental
President, Rozental &
Asociados

Shelly Shetty
Managing Director,
Sovereigns, Fitch

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