Miguel Díaz-Canel, accompanied by Communist Party officials from Havana and government officials, visited several community projects and spoke with residents. A central focus was the local development project “La Timba,” which produces food and supplies bread and other products to a nearby childcare centre and schools serving a community of around 5,000 people.
Díaz-Canel: "Transformations with people"
Díaz-Canel stressed that the country's ongoing economic and social transformations must be understood and implemented with popular participation. He said that discussions had already been held with Communist Party members and would now be extended to workers and residents. He called for community organisations, including the Committees for the Defence of the Revolution and the Federation of Cuban Women, to explain the changes and gather residents' proposals and criticisms. His central message was that the transformations should be carried out “with the people,” rather than imposed by a superior authority.
The president also emphasised municipal autonomy, popular control and greater transparency of local budgets. He called for municipal economic plans and budgets, including spending on social projects, to be made more transparent so that residents could participate in monitoring and discussing them.
The visit highlighted several practical community initiatives: a health fair, assistance to vulnerable residents, blood and medicine donations, cultural and sporting activities, and digital networks for communication between residents and local authorities. The local health clinic and the Family Assistance System (SAF) were also visited.
The Cuban trade union movement and Communist youth organisation were presented as important components of the neighbourhood mobilisation. Workers whose workplaces are temporarily inactive are being organised into volunteer brigades to help resolve local problems. Two trade-union sections were being established in La Timba, one focused on waste collection and another on the local food-production project.
The Communist Youth organisation in Havana is also developing a Community Youth Network, involving young people in assistance to vulnerable residents and SAF facilities. Its representative said that the difficult conditions facing Cuba make continued community participation particularly important.