Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders’ recent comments about Cuba and Fidel Castro resulted in journalists’ rediscovery of a meeting Sanders and two other U.S. Senators (Heidi Heitkamp (Dem., ND) and Jon Tester (Dem., MT)) had in February 2014 with Alan Gross, a U.S. citizen then in a Cuban prison.[1] Gross in 2009 had been arrested in … Continue reading Bernie Sanders’ Early 2014 Cuban Prison Meeting with U.S. Prisoner
Over the last several years, the U.S. has been waging a campaign seeking to discredit Cuba’s foreign medical mission program. This campaign includes the State Department’s annual reports on human trafficking that have alleged Cuba has been engaged in illegal forced labor of some of its medical professionals in these programs. Another part was the … Continue reading U.S. Unjustified Campaign To Discredit Cuba’s Foreign Medical Mission Program
On December 20, the U.S. State Department released its new “Bilateral Relations Fact Sheet: U.S. Relations with Cameroon.”[1] Here is the text of that document. “The United States established diplomatic relations with Cameroon in 1960, following the independence of the French-administered part of the country. Cameroon has had just two presidents since independence. U.S. relations … Continue reading State Department’s New “Bilateral Relations Fact Sheet: U.S. Relations with Cameroon”
The Evangelical Christian Humanitarian Outreach for Cuba (ECHO Cuba), a U.S. nonprofit organization, has emerged as one that calls for close examination by U.S. citizens interested in U.S.-Cuba normalization and reconciliation. EchoCuba is active in Cuba, including successful public opposition to a provision of the then proposed new Cuban constitution and commenting on other controversial … Continue reading Examination of the Actions of EchoCuba (a U.S. Nonprofit)
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has just approved a bill for Fiscal 2019 (2018-2019) that includes funding for purported democracy promotion in Cuba, which will be discussed after looking at the latest U.S. Department of State’s annual report on such programs for May 2016-May 2017. Programs for 2016-2017[a] Democratic Institutions and Civil Society “U.S. support … Continue reading U.S. Programs Purportedly Supporting Democracy and Human Rights in Cuba
On July 16, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo gave an immediate response [1] to the Report of the U.S. Commission on Unalienable Rights that was summarized in a prior post. Now we look at some of the significant points of Pompeo’s response. Pompeo’s Introduction by Chair Glendon’s Chair Mary Ann Glendon said that the importance … Continue reading Secretary Pompeo’s Reactions to U.S. Commission on Unalienable Rights’ Report
On June 16, 2019, the U.S. Cuba Internet Task Force released its Final Report.[1] It identified what it saw as the following four key challenges to Cuban access to the Internet along with recommendations for expanding such access and the unregulated flow of information on the island. The Final Report “I. LIMITED INFRASTRUCTURE, HIGH PRICES, … Continue reading U.S. Cuba Internet Task Force’s Final Report
On November 22, the State Department published its new U.S.-Cuba “Bilateral Relations Fact Sheet.”[1] Here is what it said. “U.S.-CUBA RELATIONS “ “The United States seeks a stable, prosperous, and free country for the Cuban people. The United States pursues limited engagement with Cuba that advances our national interests and empowers the Cuban people while restricting … Continue reading State Department’s New U.S.-Cuba Relations Fact Sheet
On September 6, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Western Hemisphere Subcommittee held a hearing on U.S. policy on Cuba.[1] The subcommittee heard from the following five witnesses, the first four of whom were from the State Department and the last (Mr. Mazanec) from the U.S. Government Accountability Office: (1) Kenneth H. Merten, Acting Principal … Continue reading U.S. House Hearing on U.S. Policy Towards Cuba
Since mid-October this blog has commented on Cuba’s arrest and detention of José Daniel Ferrer, the leader of Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU). [1] The Cuban Government had no official response to the many issues raised by this arrest and detention until November 20, when Granma, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of Cuba, … Continue reading Cuba Accuses U.S. of Using Ferrer Case To Try to Discredit Cuba
