Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz stressed that Cuban municipalities must lead their own development at an extraordinary Provincial Government Council meeting in Ciego de Ávila. He highlighted the province's strategic role in food production amid a war economy imposed by the US blockade. He called for a mentality shift and multiplied concrete actions for sustainability.
At the extraordinary Provincial Government Council meeting held this Thursday in Ciego de Ávila, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz emphasized that municipalities must not be passive links but protagonists of their own development. "The municipality is the battleground for addressing the main problems afflicting the population," he stated, calling to bury rhetoric and multiply action.
Marrero Cruz described the current situation as a "war economy" due to the intensified blockade and hostile US policy, demanding profound transformations and a radical mentality change. "We act as if everything were normal," he criticized, pointing to an urgent contradiction to resolve.
He focused on Ciego de Ávila's potential for food production, with nearly 35,000 hectares dedicated to root crops, vegetables, grains, and fruit trees. Agriculture Minister Ydael Pérez Brito highlighted its central geographical position as a logistical advantage and the combination of land and workers' capacity as an essential pillar for national food security.
Governor Alfre Menéndez Pérez reported priorities such as diversifying exports, reducing overdue fines, and improving water supply in communities like Punta Alegre, Tamarindo, Florencia, and the provincial capital. Ana María Mari Machado, vice president of the National Assembly of People's Power, stressed the need for an agile regulatory framework to translate laws into concrete solutions.
Marrero Cruz announced that 2026 will be a year of definitions, difficult but key for strengthening regulations and unleashing territorial potential. "If you want to move forward, you have to do things differently and not be afraid of change," he concluded, recalling Fidel Castro's historic determination.
