Cuentapropista

Cuentapropista (Spanish: kwen.t̪a.pɾo.ˈpis.t̪a) is a Cuban term for a person who lives from his own business and is a "non-state" worker.^[1][2] The term is often used in Argentina and Uruguay as well, however, in most other Spanish-speaking countries, this would be referred to as a "trabajador por cuenta propia" and/or "trabajador autónomo". According to the Cuban Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MTSS) statistics, a total of 580,828 Cubans were self-employed at the end of 2018, representing 13 percent of the country's workforce.^[3][4]

Since 2010, during Raul Castro's leadership, the Cuban government legitimized and began to regulate the class of self-employed workers.^[2] The class of Cuentapropistas was organized and registered economical reforms in 2010-2011, which were referred to by some as the "New Cuban Economy".^[5][6][7]

Of the nearly 600,000 self-employed, 33% are women. The most represented sectors are restaurants (palates and cafes), with 9% of licenses; transportation (taxis, 9%) and private leasing of residences (6%), an increasingly popular tourist accommodation option.^[8] 123 professions can be registered as Cuentapropista, most of which are low-skill jobs such as knife sharpener, purse knitter, palm tree trimmer, button upholsterer, and sheep shearer,^[9][10][11] and none of which are in manufacturing or industry.^[3]

During 2019, the MTSS announced that state actors will be permitted to sell excess produce to Cuentapropistas using either of the official currencies of Cuba.^[3]