MIAMI (WSVN) – Changes appear to be coming to Cuba, as the communist government faces pressure from its own people and from the U.S. government.
Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, Cuba’s deputy prime minister, told NBC News on Monday that they are open to having Cubans residing in the U.S. and their descendants own businesses on the island.
Pérez-Oliva Fraga said their goal to revive the economy, from tourism to the infrastructure. An official announcement from the Cuban government is expected sometime on Monday.
But the move is being met with mixed reactions by South Florida’s Cuban American and Cuban exile community.
Ramón Saúl Sánchez, president of the Democracy Movement, did not mince words when he weighed in on the matter on Sunday.
“Absolutely unacceptable,” he said.
“It would be best done, as I would like to do, once they have democracy running,” said Cuban American resident Blanca Torrel. “I do believe that at this moment, I don’t feel that there should be any negotiations with a communist country.”
Late Monday morning, a group of Cuban American activists held a press conference. They are asking the Trump administration to allow them to send a flotilla of aid to Cuba.
They also denounced Cuba’s expected announcement regarding business ownership.
The press conference was held after U.S. Rep Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., took to social media, posting in X: “How many times is the Cuban regime going to expropriate & steal busineses until they’re finally called what they are: PROFESSIONAL THIEVES! Anybody who invests in #Cuba under this regime is insane.”
The latest developments come as Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and the United States are having conversations about Cuba’s future. This raises the question as to whether this announcement comes with the blessing of the Trump administration.
Aboard Air Force One Sunday, Trump addressed the situation on the island.
“Cuba is a failed nation. Cuba also wants to make a deal, and I think we will pretty soon, either make a deal or whatever we have to do,” he said.
And, as the regime talks economics, its people are uprising because of fuel shortages and blackouts. Protesters in central Cuba took to the streets over the weekend to voice their opposition. Some were seen setting fires and throwing rocks at the Communist Party offices while chanting against the government.
One video shows people in a crowd helping a man up after reportedly being shot by police. In another, a boy appears to be handcuffed.
As demonstratotrs chant “freedom,” more than half of the island is in the dark, causing tensions to rise.
People living there, like activist Yoani Sanchez, are desperate. She alleges that a man seen in a video dressed in civilian clothes is a police officer stopping her from leaving her home in the wake of the protests.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Sunday said they will send oil to the island, despite Trump’s threats of tariffs to countries that help. She said that even though people don’t agree with the Cuban government, that shouldn’t meet the people have to suffer.
As anticipation builds about Cuba’s announcement, there are many questions about how exactly this is going to work, especially in light of the embargo.
Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
About the Author
Discover more from USA NEWS
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
