Russian Communist Leader: Cuba Made a 'Fatal Error' Betting on Tourism

When a government’s own ideological allies criticize it, the situation has reached a breaking point. That is exactly what happened this week: Daria Mitina, secretary of Russia’s United Communist Party and host of the “Personal Opinion” program on Pravda.ru, delivered a stinging verdict on Havana’s investment decisions.

“Cuba committed probably its fatal strategic mistake by prioritizing tourism over energy. It is now paying dearly for that.”

The Numbers That Indict

Mitina’s accusation is not vague — it comes with figures. According to her, Cuba channeled 32% of its investments into tourist infrastructure in recent years while dedicating only 12% to the energy sector. The visible result: gleaming five-star hotels in Varadero while 64% of the country went without electricity at the peak of the crisis.

The data are difficult to verify from independent sources — the Cuban government does not publish disaggregated investment statistics — but the diagnosis aligns with what external economists observe: Cuba bet on attracting hard currency through tourism without first securing the energy base that underpins the entire economy.

An Ally That Criticizes: The Wound That Cuts Deepest

Mitina’s critique stings more than Washington’s precisely because it comes from Cuba’s own camp. Russia declared Cuba’s situation “critical” and has tried to send fuel — the tanker Sea Horse was a demonstration of that support — but Mitina goes further: she doesn’t just blame the US blockade; she points to Havana’s own mistakes.

That is unusual. The standard line in Kremlin-aligned Russian media is to blame the blockade for everything. Mitina does that too, but she adds self-criticism: Cuba enabled its own vulnerability.

The Chinese Solution That Hasn’t Come

Mitina proposes a concrete solution: Cuba could obtain 2,000 MW of electricity generation from China for about $1 billion per year. The idea is not far-fetched — China has surplus installed capacity and economic ties with the island — but it overlooks the geopolitical reality: China sent rice, but has preferred not to commit to oil under US pressure.

Cuba hit a record 800 MW of solar generation in February, showing that the energy transition is advancing. But 800 MW of solar doesn’t cover the nightly deficit of 1,700 to 2,000 MW affecting the national grid.

The Foreign Minister in Moscow and the Silence That Followed

Last week, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla met with Putin and Lavrov in Moscow precisely to manage this kind of support. No concrete energy agreements were announced. Mitina’s words suggest that within the Russian ecosystem, there are voices demanding more self-awareness from Havana before dispensing further aid.

The underlying message is uncomfortable but real: a country that built luxury resorts while letting its power plants age cannot expect its allies to foot the bill indefinitely.

Sources

• CiberCuba — Russian Communist Leader Says Cuba Made Strategic Error
• Pravda.ru — “Caribbean Crisis”
• CubaHeadlines