Cuban Government Will Allow Russia to Build a Logistics Center at the Port of Mariel

MIAMI, United States — The governments of Russia and Cuba have agreed to establish a joint logistics center at the Port of Mariel — the island’s most important deep-water port and home to the Mariel Special Development Zone (ZDEM) — as part of a strategy to facilitate trade between Moscow and Latin America, according to a report by the RIA Novosti agency, cited by the state media outlet RT.

The announcement was made in the context of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), held in Russia. According to Tatyana Mashkova, director of the Russian National Committee for Economic Cooperation with Latin American Countries, Havana and Moscow are working “in parallel” to bring the project at the Cuban port to fruition.

“Our companies could benefit from this Cuban platform to deliver their goods more actively throughout the region,” Mashkova told RIA Novosti.

Located at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico, the Port of Mariel features a container terminal, free trade zone, modern warehouses, and railway connections. According to RT, favorable tax conditions and customs incentives have been designed to attract investment and promote local production. According to Mashkova, several Russian companies are already operating in the area.

In addition to the logistics center, the Cuban regime offered to establish an industrial park for the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) within the Mariel Special Development Zone. According to the report, the park would cover 50 hectares and be leased to the bloc for 50 years, with an option for extension. The goal would be to allow member countries to set up production, invest directly, and expand their presence in Latin American markets.

The EAEU is made up of five former Soviet countries: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. Cuba, which has been cooperating with the bloc for several years, was granted observer status in 2020.

Mashkova added that Russian and Cuban businesspeople are also exploring mechanisms to strengthen financial cooperation, with support from the Russian Export Center. “The goal is to facilitate bilateral trade and reduce logistical barriers,” she explained.

The agreement reinforces Moscow’s geopolitical strategy to expand its presence in Latin America, particularly at a time of heightened tensions with Europe, the United States, and most of the Western world.

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