Cuba seeks full membership in BRICS

Monday 14 September 2026 - 11:16

By: Azzat Manal

Cuba is seeking to become a full member of the BRICS group as Havana looks to deepen its engagement with emerging economies and strengthen its role in an increasingly multipolar international system.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla said Havana was ready to contribute to the group and expressed the country's ambition to move beyond its current status as a BRICS partner country.

“We are also ready to contribute, based on our modest experience, to strengthening BRICS, whose importance is growing, and which we aspire to join as a full member,” Rodríguez said in remarks published by Cuba's Foreign Ministry.

The Cuban foreign minister also highlighted what he described as BRICS' role in opposing unilateral coercive measures. His comments reflect Havana's long-standing criticism of economic sanctions and other restrictions imposed by individual countries, particularly the United States.

Cuba's interest in full BRICS membership comes as the group continues to expand its international reach. Originally established in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, the bloc admitted South Africa in 2011, transforming BRICS into a broader platform for cooperation among major emerging economies.

The group underwent another major expansion in 2024, when Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates became full members. Indonesia subsequently joined as a full member in 2025, further increasing the group's economic and geopolitical weight.

BRICS has also developed a partner-country framework for states seeking closer cooperation without immediately becoming full members. Belarus, Bolivia, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan have been recognized as partner countries.

For Havana, full membership could provide greater opportunities to strengthen economic, diplomatic and financial ties with countries outside the traditional Western-led institutions. Cuba has faced prolonged economic difficulties and extensive US sanctions, making alternative international partnerships a major priority for the government.

BRICS does not operate as a conventional political or military alliance. Instead, it provides a platform for economic cooperation, political dialogue and coordination on issues such as trade, development, finance and international governance. The group has increasingly presented itself as a voice for developing and emerging economies seeking greater influence in global decision-making.

Cuba's potential accession would add another Latin American country to a group that already includes Brazil, one of the region's largest economies. Havana has historically maintained close diplomatic and economic relations with several BRICS members, including Russia and China.

The expansion of BRICS has attracted growing international attention as member states seek to increase cooperation and reduce dependence on institutions and financial mechanisms dominated by Western powers. However, the group remains diverse, with its members pursuing different economic and foreign-policy priorities.

Cuba's request therefore represents another sign of the growing interest among developing countries in closer ties with BRICS. Whether Havana will eventually obtain full membership will depend on the group's internal procedures and the position of its existing members.

For Cuba, joining BRICS would nevertheless represent a significant diplomatic development and could offer additional avenues for economic cooperation, investment and international engagement at a time when the country is seeking new partnerships to address its economic challenges.