Cuba approves 176-point economic reform package

Cuba's National Assembly of People's Power approved the most extensive package of economic reforms in decades, consisting of 176 initiatives across 23 key areas aimed at modernizing the economy, expanding space for the non-state sector, and increasing the use of market instruments. The measures were previously backed by an extraordinary plenary session of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba. While some observers compare the reforms to perestroika, analysts note the changes stem from acknowledged inefficiencies in the current model rather than ideological shift. The reforms come amid the ongoing U.S. blockade, which supporters of the reforms say hampers normal economic development.