At a May 17 New York City gala dinner, the Cato Institute awarded its $250,000 Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty to Cuba’s Ladies in White.[1] This award, the political reaction to the award, Cato’s other positions on Cuba and Cato’s background raise interesting issues as discussed below. The Award The Institute’s announcement of this … Continue reading Cuban Ladies in White Win Cato Institute’s Milton Friedman Prize
On June 2, 2022, the U.S. State Department released its 2021 Report on International Religious Freedom. It “describes the status of religious freedom in every country. The report covers government policies violating religious denominations and individuals, and U.S. policies to promote religious freedom around the world. The U.S. Department of State submits the reports in … Continue reading U.S. 2021 Report on International Religious Freedom
On April 17, as discussed in a prior post, the U.S. State Department announced new sanctions against Cuba. The major change was eliminating the waiver of Title III of the Helms-Burton (LIBERTAD) Act allowing U.S. litigation by U.S. owners of Cuban property that was expropriated by the Cuban government in the early years of the … Continue reading National Security Advisor Bolton Discusses New U.S. Sanctions Against Cuba
On December 7 U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sent an open letter to Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, and Cuba immediately and angrily denounced the letter without responding to the specific questions advanced by Pompeo. Secretary Pompeo’s Letter[1] The letter asked for a “substantive explanation of the detention of the [following eight] political prisoners” … Continue reading Another U.S.-Cuba Dispute Over Human Rights
On May 20, President Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo stated that May 20 was Cuba’s Independence Day. Cuban officials immediately rejected that assertion. Presidential Message on Cuban Independence Day, 2020[1] “On Cuban Independence Day, we recognize the patriots who fought to liberate Cuba from its colonial oppression and build a society founded on freedom. … Continue reading U.S. Insulting Proclamation of May 20th as Cuba’s Independence Day
This year Cuba’s human rights record is a subject of its third Universal Periodic Review (UPR) by the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland. After reviewing the nature of the UPR process, we will look at the status of Cuba’s pending UPR.[1] Background The U.N. Human Rights Council since 2006 has been an important … Continue reading Cuba’s Human Rights Record Being Subjected to Universal Periodic Review by U.N. Human Rights Council
On April 17, the U.S. announced new sanctions against Cuba. The major change was eliminating the waiver of Title III of the Helms-Burton (LIBERTAD) Act allowing U.S. litigation by U.S. owners of Cuban property that was expropriated by the Cuban government in the early years of the Cuban Revolution. This Act also allows the U.S. … Continue reading State Department’s Announcement of New Sanctions Against Cuba
On December 22, Cuba’s National Assembly unanimously approved a proposed new constitution for submission to a national referendum on February 24, 2019. It incorporates into an original one published in July hundreds of mainly small changes proposed by citizens during a three-month public consultation at community meetings nationwide. [1] Summary of Latest Draft of Constitution This … Continue reading Cuba’s Legislature Approves Revised Draft of New Constitution
On April 25, 2018, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom released its annual report on the subject for 28 countries in the world. Of these the Commission concluded that Cuba and 11 other countries had engaged in or tolerated religious freedom violations during 2017 that were serious and “systematic, or ongoing, or egregious.”[1] Commission’s … Continue reading Cuba Religious Freedom in the Eyes of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
On May 29, 2018, the U.S. Department of State released its 2017 International Religious Freedom Report, which is required by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (“the Act”) and which details the status of religious freedom in nearly 200 foreign countries and describes U.S. actions and policies in support of religious freedom worldwide.[1] The … Continue reading Cuba Religious Freedom in the Eyes of the U.S. State Department
