Cuba adopts major economic reforms while the US dismisses them as superficial

On Thursday, the Cuban parliament unanimously approved a package of 176 economic reforms presented by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero. These measures, described by some economists as the most significant changes since the 1959 revolution, address private and state enterprise organization, banking, tourism, agriculture, foreign investment, and currency exchange. The government claims these changes are necessary to overcome a deep economic crisis and external pressure. However, the United States government rejected the reforms on Friday, labeling them a superficial smoke screen. A State Department spokesperson argued that the measures are a tactical ploy, calling for more substantial political and economic reforms to improve the lives of the Cuban people. Relations between the two countries remain tense amid an ongoing US embargo that has been in place since 1962.