About The Event

The 36th annual ASCE Conference will be held September 25–26, 2026 at Florida International University in the Steven J. Green School for International and Public Affairs (SIPA 2) on the Modesto A Maidique campus. ASCE’s annual meeting is dedicated to the study and analysis of the Cuban economy and serves as a leading forum where scholars and professionals gather to present research and discuss current economic issues affecting Cuba.

Conference Sponsors

Keynote Panel

This year, ASCE is reimagining its traditional keynote format with a dynamic, data-driven conversation focused on one of the most persistent challenges in understanding Cuba: the lack of reliable, accessible, and timely information.

The session will showcase a new generation of open-source research and intelligence platforms designed to close that gap. Bringing together public opinion research, geospatial and incident mapping, artificial intelligence, and real-time economic data, these initiatives are creating new ways to understand conditions on the island and measure developments that have historically been difficult to observe.

Moderated as an investigative, fast-paced discussion, the session will explore how greater empirical transparency can strengthen research, inform policy, improve economic understanding, and reshape how Cuba's economic and political trajectory is assessed.

Keynote Participants

Jeanette M. Nuñez Keynote Welcome & Opening Remarks

Jeanette M. Nuñez is the seventh president of Florida International University and the first FIU alumna to lead the university. A two-time FIU graduate, she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and international relations and a Master of Public Administration. Prior to becoming president, Nuñez spent 15 years in public service, including serving as Lieutenant Governor of Florida and as a member of the Florida House of Representatives. She has also held leadership roles in healthcare and has served FIU as an adjunct faculty member and guest lecturer.

Michelle Caruso-Cabrera Keynote Moderator

Michelle Caruso-Cabrera is an award-winning journalist and former CNBC anchor and Chief International Correspondent with decades of experience covering global financial markets, emerging economies, sovereign risk, and international affairs. Known for translating complex economic and political developments into clear, incisive analysis, she has reported from around the world and interviewed leading policymakers, business executives, and heads of state. Her deep expertise in markets, governance, and Latin America makes her uniquely suited to moderate this discussion on the future of data and transparency in Cuba.

José Miguel Cruz Cuba LAPOP Survey

José Miguel Cruz is Interim Director of FIU’s Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center (LACC), an Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, and Director of FIU’s Center for the Administration of Justice. A specialist in public opinion, democratization, governance, and security in Latin America, he brings extensive experience designing and conducting survey research across the region. He previously directed one of Central America’s leading public opinion research institutes and earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from Vanderbilt University.

For this session, Dr. Cruz will introduce LAPOP’s groundbreaking public opinion research in Cuba, providing a rare, ground-level look at Cuban attitudes and experiences in a country where reliable survey data have historically been extraordinarily difficult to obtain.

Brian Fonseca Cuba Surveillance Dashboard

Brian Fonseca is Vice Provost for Defense and National Security Research at Florida International University and Director of FIU’s Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy. A former U.S. Marine and former Senior Research Manager for Socio-Cultural Analysis at U.S. Southern Command, his work focuses on national security, intelligence, governance, emerging threats, and U.S. foreign policy in Latin America and the Caribbean.

For this session, Fonseca will highlight FIU’s open-source security and geospatial dashboards, which integrate large volumes of publicly and commercially available data to map activity and identify emerging patterns across the region. The tools demonstrate how real-time data and visualization can provide new insight into developments in Cuba that have traditionally been difficult to observe or measure.

José Jasán Nieves elTOQUE Markets

José Jasán Nieves is a Cuban journalist and Editor-in-Chief of elTOQUE, the independent digital media platform known for combining journalism with data-driven public-service tools for Cubans on and off the island. Under his leadership, elTOQUE has developed some of the most widely followed independent economic indicators on Cuba, including its informal exchange-rate tracker, and in 2026 launched elTOQUE Markets, a platform bringing together real-time data on exchange rates, food prices, remittances, and other market indicators.

For this session, Nieves will present elTOQUE’s expanding economic data platform and discuss how independently collected, real-time market information can help fill critical gaps in Cuba’s official statistics and provide a clearer picture of economic conditions on the island. In 2026, he was named a recipient of the ICFJ Knight International Journalism Award for his leadership in data-driven journalism and innovation.

Rafael Romeu DevTech MAGPIE & Cuban Exchange Rate Dashboard

DevTech Systems, Inc. brings more than four decades of experience in economic research, data analytics, and evidence-based policy support to governments and institutions around the world. For this session, DevTech will present a new generation of Cuba-focused intelligence tools designed to transform fragmented and difficult-to-access information into a more comprehensive, real-time picture of the island’s economy.

At the center of this effort is MAGPIE, DevTech’s AI-powered research and intelligence platform, which brings together 37 years of empirical literature, data, and analysis into a searchable knowledge environment. Combined with real-time monitoring of Cuba’s informal foreign exchange market and other emerging economic indicators, these tools demonstrate how artificial intelligence and open-source data can help overcome longstanding information gaps and provide policymakers, researchers, and market observers with faster, deeper, and more actionable insight into Cuba.

Over the two-day conference, you will have the opportunity to learn, discuss, and participate in research topics focused on Cuba, its economy, and the future.

Conference Schedule

Friday September 25, 9:00-10:00 AM1. Opening Plenary - Recent Cuban Economic and Political Trends

Introduction: Rafael Romeu, DevTech Systems and ASCE President
Jorge R. Piñon, University of Texas at Austin, Energy and electricity
Emilio Morales, The Havana Consulting Group, Finances and foreign debt
Jorge I. Domínguez, Harvard University (retired), Politics and foreign relations
Omar Everleny Pérez Villanueva, Centro Cristiano de Reflexión y Diálogo-Cuba, Macroeconomic trends

Friday September 25, 10:00-10:15 AMCoffee Break

Sponsored by CasaCuba

Friday September 25, 10:15-11:40 AM2. Sanctions and Financing

Chair: Roger de la Torre
Discussant: Juan Antonio Blanco, Cuba Siglo 21
José Pineda, et. Al., DevTech Systems, “Aligning Incentives for Venezuela's Post-Earthquake Recovery: A Governance and Financing Framework for Recovery after Venezuelan Earthquakes”
Emilio Morales, The Havana Consulting Group, “GAESA and U.S. sanctions”
Nicolas C. Gonzalez, University of Minnesota Law School, “Bargaining with Cuba After CIMEX”

Friday September 25, 10:15-11:40 AM3. Critical Sectors: Agriculture and Mining

Chair: Tony Costa, Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba
Discussant: René Costales, Inter-American Development Bank, retired
William Messina, University of Florida, “Challenges and Opportunities for Cuba’s Agricultural Recovery in the Midst of Economic Turmoil”
Mario González-Corzo, Lehman College, CUNY, “Market-Oriented Reforms and Agricultural Enterprise Performance: Lessons from China”
Evan M. Leon, The Critical Minerals Company, Inc., “Revitalizing the Cuban Mining Industry: Practical Considerations & Approaches”

Friday September 25, 11:40-12:50 PMASCE Luncheon

Friday September 25, 12:50-1:00 PMCoffee Break

Sponsored by CasaCuba

Friday September 25, 1:00-2:15 PM4. After the Fall, Part I: Macroeconomic Issues

Chair: Gary S. Maybarduk, Ed: After the Fall Project
Discussant: John Devereux, Queens College, CUNY
Armando S. Linde, IMF (retired), “Cuba's New Dawn: Reconstruction and Institutional Stability under Post-Authoritarian Governance”
Paul Meo, World Bank (retired), and Lorenzo L. Pérez, IMF (retired), “Public Sector Challenges and Recommendations for Cuba’s Recovery”
Juan Tomás Sánchez, Cuba Sugarcane Growers Association, Inc., “Rebuilding Cuba’s Sugar Industry: A Self-liquidating Pathway for Industrial Restoration and Claims Resolution”

Friday September 25, 1:00-2:15 PM5. Transition, Security, and Geoeconomics

Chair: Brian Fonseca, Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy, FIU
Discussant: Juan Carlos Espinosa, Dean & Senior Fellow at FIU Honors College
Tomasz Wiśniewski, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, “Cuba’s Energy Transition under Constraint: Vulnerability, Strategic Hedging, and Partnership Diversification”
Teo A. Babún, President & CEO at Outreach Aid to the Americas, Inc., “Parapolice, State Security, and Surveillance in Cuba”
Jose Pineda, et al., DevTech Systems, “Informal Exchange Rates and Social Unrest: Detecting Instability in Cuba Through Media Event Data”
José Jasán Nieves, El TOQUE, “Medios independientes como infraestructura cívica de datos: el caso cubano”

Friday September 25, 2:15-2:30 PMCoffee Break

Sponsored by CasaCuba

Friday September 25, 2:30-3:55 PM6. After the Fall, Part II: Rule of Law and Institutional Issues

Chair: Gustavo Arnavat, The Cuba Foundation
Discussant: Jason Poblete, Poblete Tamargo LLP
Jorge I. Domínguez, Harvard University (retired), “New Constitutions for Cuba: Transitional versus Permanent Constitutions”
Natalia Delgado, Cuba Capacity Building Project, Columbia Law School, “Rule of Law; The Key to Attracting Foreign Direct Investment and Developing Cuba's Economy”
Gary S. Maybarduk, Ed: After the Fall Project, “Addressing the Issue of Confiscated Properties”

Friday September 25, 2:30-3:55 PM7. Cuba’s Network Infrastructure Crisis: A Framework for Reform

Chair: Enrique S. Pumar, Fay Boyle University Professor Emeritus at Santa Clara University and Senior Lecturer at Johns Hopkins University
Discussant: Bryan Roberts, DevTech Systems
Jorge R. Piñon, University of Texas, “Cuba’s Transition Toward an Open Access Fuels Distribution and Marketing System”
Helena Solo-Gabriele, University of Miami, “Reforming Havana’s Water Infrastructure: Economic Analysis and Public Health Implications for a Cuban Transition”
Juan A. B. Belt, International Finance and Economics LLC; Senior Fellow, Public Utility Research Center, University of Florida, “Reforming the Power and Telecommunications Sectors During a Transition"

Friday September 25, 3:55-4:10 PMCoffee Break

Sponsored by CasaCuba

Friday September 25, 4:10-5:15 PMKeynote Panel

Join FIU President Jeanette M. Nuñez and former CNBC correspondent Michelle Caruso-Cabrera as they bring together Brian Fonseca, José Miguel Cruz, José Jasán Nieves, and Rafael Romeu for a timely discussion on emerging data, new analytical tools, and evolving insights from Cuba.

Friday September 25, 5:15-6:45 PMASCE Reception

Sponsored by Steven J. Green School

Saturday September 26, 8:00-9:00 AMASCE Business Meeting

Members only please.

Saturday September 26, 9:00-9:10 AMCoffee Break

Sponsored by CasaCuba

Saturday September 26, 9:10-10:35 AM8. Financing the Reconstruction

Chair: Tony Jimenez, Medina Ventures
Discussant: Thomas Laryea, Partner, Orrick; former IMF legal counsel
Rafael Romeu and Gabriel DiBella, “Cuba Day Zero: Stabilization, Reconstruction, and the Path to Investment”
Jorge Pérez-Lopez, U.S. Department of Labor (retired), and Sergio Díaz-Briquets, International Consultant, “The Diaspora’s Potential Contribution to the Cuban Reconstruction”
Sergio “Serge” Leon, Co-Founder at Ingenio Ventures / PaHoy, “Entrepreneurship as Infrastructure: Expanding Opportunity in Cuba Through Technology and Financial Access”

Saturday September 26, 9:10-10:35 AM9. Proposals for a Cuban Transition I

Chair: Carlos Saladrigas, Cuba Study Group
Discussant: Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, CNBC
Leonel Regalado Cardoso, Texas Tech University, and Carlos Martínez, George Mason University, “From Das Kapital to Venture Capital: Cuban Entrepreneurial Elites Exiled in South Florida”
Mauricio de Miranda, Pedro Monreal, Omar Everleny Pérez Villanueva, Ricardo Torres, and Pavel Vidal, “Cuba Transformación: Propuesta Para Transformar la Economía Cubana”

Saturday September 26, 10:35-10:50 AMCoffee Break

Sponsored by CasaCuba

Saturday September 26, 10:50-12:15 PM10. Proposals for a Cuban Transition II

Chair: Marcell Felipe, American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora
Discussant: Alfredo Cuzán, University of West Florida
John Devereux, Queens College, CUNY; Luis Locay, University of Miami; Bryan Roberts, DevTech Systems; and Carlos Seiglie, Rutgers University, “How Should Cuba Pursue Systemic Transformation? Insights from Other Experiences and Economic Theory”
Mariusz-Jan Radło, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, “From Reform Models to Structural Roles: Cuba as a Small Power in a Reconfigured Hemispheric Order”
Raudiel F. Peña Barrios, “Cuba’s Non-Transitional Mutation: Economic Pluralism as a Tool for Post-totalitarian Resilience (1959-2026)”

Saturday September 26, 10:50-12:15 PM11. El quiebre de la sostenibilidad de la vida en Cuba: análisis y desafíos de la asistencia humanitaria y las políticas sociales en un escenario de cambio

Chair: Sergio Díaz-Briquets, SDB Consulting
Discussant: Silvia Pedraza, University of Michigan
Elaine Acosta González, FIU, “El traspaso de la responsabilidad del bienestar en Cuba: políticas sociales en un contexto de transición, crisis humanitaria y envejecimiento demográfico acelerado”
Sergio Ángel Baquero, Food Monitor Program and Fundación 4Métrica, “Empeoramiento crítico de la seguridad alimentaria en Cuba, 2022-2025: Evidencia del Índice de Seguridad Alimentaria y el Mapa del Hambre del Food Monitor Program”
Laritza Diversent, Cubalex, “Obstáculos legales a la asistencia humanitaria en Cuba y su impacto en las políticas sociales”

Saturday September 26, 12:15-1:25 PMASCE Luncheon

Saturday September 26, 1:25-1:35 PMCoffee Break

Sponsored by CasaCuba

Saturday September 26, 1:35-3:00 PM12. Quantitative Studies on Cuban Economic Growth in Historical Perspective

Chair: Mario Murgado, Murgado Automotive Group
Discussant: TBA
John Devereux, Queens College, CUNY, “The Weight of History”
Carlos Martínez and Vincent Geloso, George Mason University, “Red Smoke: The Effect of the Cuban Revolution on Emissions”
Bryan Roberts, DevTech Systems, “Passenger Vehicles in Cuba During 1926-2019 in a Comparative International Context”
Aidah Gil, Ingenio CIX, “Monopsony to Monopoly: El Diferencial Azucarero as Fiscal Protocol and Its Digital Successor, 1946-2026”

Saturday September 26, 1:35-3:00 PM13. Social and Economic Issues

Chair: Sebastián Arcos, Interim Director of the Institute for Cuban Studies at FIU
Discussant: Maria Werlau, Executive Director of Cuba Archive
Enrique S. Pumar, Helena Solo-Gabriele, Joseph Treaster, and Loyer Muñoz-Silva, “Polarization and Bi-Directional Public Health Impacts: Lessons from the Cuban-US Experience”
Sergio Díaz-Briquets and Jorge Pérez-Lopez, “Preserving the National Patrimony and the Social Safety Net While Preventing an Oligarchic Takeover in Cuba: Thoughts on Creating a Tourism Infrastructure Patrimonial Fund”
Charles Martin Remien and Carlos Martínez, George Mason University, “Seizing the Means of Reproduction: The Effect of the Castro Revolution on Fertility”
Silvia Pedraza, University of Michigan, “Cuba 2016-2026: Exit vs. Voice or Exit and Voice?”

Saturday September 26, 3:00-3:15 PMCoffee Break

Sponsored by CasaCuba

Saturday September 26, 3:15-4:40 PM14. Recent Economic and Social Developments

Chair: Ricardo Herrero, Cuba Study Group
Discussant: Ricardo Torres. American University
Paolo Spadoni, Augusta University, “The Deepening Crisis of Cuba’s Tourism Industry”
Tamarys L. Bahamonde, CUNY and Center for Latin America and Latino Studies, American University, “Transformaciones del 2026, políticas públicas y gobernanza”
Elizabeth Guilarte Barinaga, “Cuba ante la reforma estructural: la pérdida de capacidades y el deterioro del capital humano (2019-2025)”
Sharon Qiu, George Mason University, “The Rise of MiPyMe in Post-pandemic Cuba: Transformation and Challenges to the Private Livelihood”

Saturday September 26, 3:15-4:40 PM15. Legal Framework

Chair: Javier Garcia Bengochea, MD, FAANS, Board Certified Neurological Surgeon
Discussant: Jordi Martínez-Cid, Martínez-Cid Law, and President, Cuban American Bar Association
Rolando Anillo, Cuban Claims Owners’ Association, “Settlement of Claims: Legal Framework and Resolution”
Diana Bautista, Milan Bar Association; Studio Legale Diana Bautista, Milan, Italy, “Rebus sic stantibus, pacta sunt servanda: los desafíos jurídicos de la transición y reconstrucción del marco de inversión en Cuba”
Juan Carlos Albizu-Campos, Centro Cristiano de Reflexión y Diálogo--Cuba, " La población de Cuba hoy"
Arturo Felipe Hernández, University of Nottingham, “Transitional Constitutionalism in Cuba: Legal Pitfalls & Rule-of-Law Safeguards During Democratic Reconstruction”

Meet our Participants!

Steps to Registration

  1.  Renew or purchase an ASCE Membership!  Choose the ASCE membership that fits you. If you join, use the coupon code in your confirmation email for a discounted conference ticket. LINK TO MEMBERSHIP
  2. Check out the conference regisration options! With multiple options below, pick the one that is best for you! 
  3. Purchase your conference ticket! Purchase your ticket before Aug. 25 to get the best price! If you purchased a membership, make sure to use the discount code at checkout! 
  4. Book your lodging! Traveling in from out of town? Check out hotels in the area using the Lodging and Hotels tab in the upper right hand corner of this page. 
  5. Keep up with ASCE! Keep tabs on the conference through your email and ASCE’s social media. 

Reminders: 

- Conference tickets are sold for both days. No individual day tickets are available. 

- All in-person attendance tickets provide lunch and refreshments. 

Registration Options

  • - For all conference attendees.
    - Grants entry for the full 2-day event.

  • - For all students (undergraduate and graduate levels). Must be able to show valid student ID at conference or received a diploma within the last six months.
    - Grants entry for the full 2-day event.

  • - Grants virtual entry for the full 2-day event.
    - Excludes invited speaker talks and lectures.

Sponsorship and Contribution

Your support helps ASCE continue its mission of advancing research and informed discussion on the Cuban economy. Contributions support our annual conference, student participation, and the exchange of ideas among scholars and professionals. With your support, ASCE can sustain high quality programming and strengthen its academic community.

All contributions can also be made through direct deposit and ACH by emailing [email protected].

Sponsorship Tiers

  • Bronze Sponsor

    A $1,500 contribution helps cover essential conference materials, including printed programs and participant awards, or can help support the travel and participation of one Cuban scholar, professional, or civil society participant attending the conference in the United States.

    $1,500.00 ea.

  • Silver Sponsor

    A $5,000 contribution can sponsor one conference luncheon, creating an important opportunity for participants to continue conversations and build relationships outside of formal sessions. Alternatively, this level of support can help bring up to two Cuban participants to the United States to take part in the conference

    $5,000.00 ea.

  • Gold Sponsor

    A $10,000 contribution can support two conference luncheons or underwrite the conference’s evening reception, providing a central gathering place for attendees, speakers, scholars, policymakers, and members of the broader Cuba-focused community to connect and exchange ideas.

    $10,000.00 ea.

  • Platinum Sponsor

    A $15,000 contribution provides comprehensive support for the conference, helping fund conference materials and awards, luncheons, the evening reception, and the participation of Cuban scholars and professionals traveling to the United States for the event. This level of support enables ASCE to strengthen both the substance of the conference and the meaningful connections that make it possible.

    $15,000.00 ea.

  • Diamond Sponsor

    Provides full support for the ASCE Annual Conference, helping to fund keynote speakers, panel sessions, and conference programming. Diamond Sponsors receive prominent recognition across conference materials, the ASCE website, ASCE social media, and during conference proceedings.

    $20,000.00 ea.

*All sponsorship tiers include one complimentary conference pass, providing access to all sessions, networking opportunities, and event materials.

Other Ways to Contribute

Suggested Amounts

We welcome contributions in support of our conference. Donations help bring scholars and students from around the world to participate in this important event. These diverse perspectives are essential to the quality of our discussions and to ASCE’s mission.

Have you made a donation of $100 or more? Visit our website to see your name recognized as an ASCE Donor.

Personal Information

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