Cuba’s one-party communist state outlaws political pluralism, bans independent media, suppresses dissent, and severely restricts basic civil liberties. The government continues to dominate the economy despite recent reforms that permit private-sector activity and foreign investment. The regime’s undemocratic character has not changed since a generational transition in political leadership that started in 2018 and included the introduction of a new constitution and the gradual passage of complementary new legislation.

• In July it was reported that, for the first time in decades, the private sector had surpassed the state sector in retail sales of goods and services by value, accounting for 55 percent of such sales in 2024.
• In August, an investigative report by Miami Herald journalist Nora Gámez Torres drew on leaked Grupo de Administración Empresarial SA (GAESA) documents to allege that the military-owned conglomerate held at least $18 billion in liquid assets as of March 2024. According to the Herald, GAESA dominated large swaths of the economy, including tourism, money transfers and currency exchanges, and a special development zone, which gave it significant control over foreign currency. GAESA’s operations generally remained opaque, as it did not face oversight by the National Assembly or the Comptroller General’s Office, and the leaked financial statements themselves lacked transparency. Cuban authorities issued no direct response to the reporting, but government-run media targeted Gámez Torres with a smear campaign.
• In October, prominent dissident José Daniel Ferrer was released from prison and left Cuba for the United States, saying he had agreed to go into exile after enduring torture in detention. Ferrer and a number of other political prisoners had been conditionally released in January as part of a deal between Havana and Washington, but he and fellow dissident Félix Navarro were imprisoned again in April after the agreement fell through.
• In December, the People’s Supreme Court (TSP) sentenced Alejandro Gil Fernández, who had been dismissed as deputy prime minister and economy minister in 2024, to life in prison for espionage. He was also sentenced in a separate trial to a concurrent term of 20 years in prison for corruption offenses, including bribery, falsification of public documents, and tax evasion. Both trials were closed to the public, and in general there was little transparency around the case.
• Separately in December, Homero Acosta Álvarez resigned from his posts as a member and secretary of the National Assembly, and as a member of the Council of State, the body that exercises legislative power between the full assembly’s two brief annual sessions. Two other Council of State members also resigned. At the same assembly session, the president of the TSP, Rubén Remigio Ferro, was “released” from office. Some commentators interpreted this set of leadership changes as part of a strategic realignment within the ruling Communist Party in response to internal disagreements and growing social discontent.

This report has been abridged for Freedom in the World 2026 due to ongoing budget constraints. Freedom in the World is entirely funded by nongovernmental sources such as private foundations, corporations, and individuals like you. Please consider making a donation to support future editions of this vital resource.

For additional background information, see the reports from the 2024 and 2025 editions of Freedom in the World.