Why some are calling this the ‘perestroika’ of Cuban sports

Sport in Cuba has reason to celebrate. A new era has arrived with Law 179, the first comprehensive sports legislation in the country’s history. The law is expected to mark a watershed moment for a sector that, since 1959, has been one of Cuba’s most important social, political and cultural symbols. Inclusive, modern and transparent in nature, the new legislation promotes the participation of both state and non-state economic actors, including Cubans and foreign nationals living abroad, while maintaining the State’s leading role in an area considered a public good and a matter of social interest.

Approved by Cuba’s National Assembly of People’s Power and in force since May 13, Law 179 introduces significant changes in areas that have traditionally been sensitive within Cuban sports: financing, advertising, sponsorship, athlete selection and the relationship between sport and the international economic environment.

A sports system forged by the Cuban State

To understand the significance of the law, it is necessary to look back. Following the triumph of the Revolution, Cuba embraced a deeply state-driven sports model focused on mass participation, free access and the all-round development of citizens. The creation of INDER (the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation) in 1961 marked the beginning of a centralized system that viewed sport as a right of the people and a tool for social inclusion.

Even that is changing. Going forward, it will officially be known as the Cuban Sports System (SDC).

For decades, that model allowed an island with limited resources to become both an Olympic and regional sporting power. However, it was also sustained entirely through state funding, leaving no formal space for sponsorship, advertising or the participation of outside economic actors, practices that were traditionally associated with capitalist professional sports.

“Historically, Cuban sport was built around a public-service model, not a market model,” explains sports sociologist Osvaldo Arias, a researcher at the Institute of Social Sciences. “That’s why this law carries such symbolic weight. It introduces economic regulation without dismantling the social spirit of the system.”

Sports economist María Elena Valdés agrees.

“The law updates the system without breaking it. It is an evolution, not a rupture. The State is not stepping aside, but it recognizes that it can no longer, nor does it need to, do everything on its own,” she said.

Participation beyond Cuba’s borders

Among the law’s main innovations is the possibility for Cubans and foreign nationals who reside abroad to participate in the guidance, promotion, development and support of Cuban sports.

These initiatives can encompass physical education, organized sport, physical activity and recreation, provided they comply with Cuban law, including immigration regulations and international agreements.

For many observers, this opening also reflects changes that have reshaped Cuban sports since the 1990s, when the Special Period led many athletes and coaches to pursue opportunities abroad.

National teams: addressing a long-standing issue

One of the most widely discussed aspects of Law 179 is that permanent residence in Cuba is no longer required to represent the country in national teams at either domestic or international level.

The legislation gives national sports federations exclusive authority to select athletes and technical staff, provided they meet eligibility requirements and international regulations.

“It’s a measure people have been waiting for for a long time,” said a member of Cuba’s national baseball team. “For years, athletes who were trained here were overlooked simply because they lived abroad. This recognizes reality without abandoning our principles.”

The law does, however, maintain clear limits. Athletes or coaches who have been temporarily suspended or expelled from the sports system will not be eligible to represent Cuba.

Advertising and sponsorship: from taboo to legality

Perhaps the most symbolic change is the formal legalization of sponsorship and sports advertising, practices that for decades were considered incompatible with the Cuban model and appeared only in exceptional circumstances, mainly during international events.

Now, in line with Law 162 on Social Communication and regulated by INDER Resolution 41 of 2025, such activities have a clear legal framework.

Economic actors, whether domestic or foreign and properly accredited, must submit proposals to sports federations or event organizers, who will evaluate their suitability.

Commercial branding on uniforms and sporting equipment must comply with both Cuban and international regulations and cannot be associated with products deemed harmful to health.

“We compete in a world where sponsorship is the norm. Having clear rules protects both athletes and the country,” said Olympic judoka Idalys Ortiz.

It could be argued that Law 179 represents a kind of perestroika for Cuban sports: a carefully managed transition between a historic model defined by strong state involvement and a new reality that recognizes the need for economic partnerships, without surrendering strategic control or the social mission that has defined sports on the island for decades.

AS spoke with Karel Luis Pachot Zambrana, legal director of INDER (the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation), who explained the scope and significance of Law 179.

What will this law mean for Cuban sports?

It should contribute to the institutional and legal strengthening of the Cuban Sports System itself.

For the first time, the law legally establishes and regulates the foundations, scope, objectives, principles, components, organization and operation of the Cuban Sports System. At the same time, it recognizes and expands the rights, duties and guarantees of all participants within the system, particularly athletes, especially elite athletes, technical staff, judges and referees, among others.

As a result, it should lead to a higher level of institutional organization within the Cuban Sports System, helping it achieve new and greater results, not only in competition but, above all, in the recognition and enjoyment of the rights of those who participate in it.

What impact do you expect it to have?

Without a doubt, Law 179 represents a challenge for the Cuban Sports System, particularly for those responsible for its organization and development, because it modernizes the system by incorporating the best international experiences and practices that can be adapted to the Cuban sports model.

Why was this opening of Cuban sports introduced now?

The content of Law 179 is consistent with the broader changes that have been taking place in Cuban society in recent years, with the aim of strengthening all sectors institutionally and legally. In this case, that includes sport, physical education, physical activity and recreation.

Will any foreign investor be able to promote or sponsor Cuban clubs, or will there be limits?

Potentially, yes.

Under the provisions of Law 179, any natural or legal person, whether Cuban or foreign, residing inside or outside the country, may participate in the guidance, promotion, support or development of activities within the Cuban Sports System. This includes physical education, sport, physical activity and recreation, provided those activities comply with the objectives and principles of the system.

As a result, a foreign investor, explicitly recognized in Article 232(h) of the law as a potential source of funding for the Cuban Sports System, may submit an investment proposal aimed at promoting or sponsoring activities within the system.

Recent legal changes also mean that Cubans living abroad, who previously could not do so, may now submit similar proposals.

There is already precedent. Agon Sports, a well-known German professional boxing promoter, has an agreement with the Cuban Boxing Federation to promote the Domadores de Cuba, the club that represents the federation in professional and amateur competitions where regulations permit participation.

Foreign companies are also already acting as sponsors of other national sports federations.

So while sponsorship itself is not entirely new within the Cuban Sports System, the practice is now expected to reach a new level after receiving formal legal recognition.

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