On June 27, the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere of the Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing regarding “The Curse of Socialism in Central America and the Caribbean“ that focused on the Cuban private sector [1]
Testimony of Eric Jacobstein
The lead witness for this hearing was Eric Jacobstein, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the State Department.
He testified that the United States Government is committed to continuing to promote the growth of the private sector in Cuba and supporting the economic well-being of the people, in the face of strengthening Havana’s relations with Moscow and Beijing.”
“Today, more than a third of the Cuban workforce works in one of the more than 11,000 private companies on the Island. The Cuban people still see the United States as a preferred partner. Therefore, we cannot give space to Russia or China and we must continue to encourage private sector growth.”
“The private sector offers ordinary Cubans the opportunity for a better life.”
Testimony of Greg Howell
Also testifying was Greg Howell, the deputy administrator for the Office for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). He said this entity has provided for the training of hundreds of journalists, “whose work in major international media has countered the Cuban regime’s manipulation of information, documenting the difficult conditions on the island and highlighting human rights violations by the [Cuban] Government.”
“For nearly 30 years, across four U.S. administrations, U.S. assistance has helped the people of Cuba in the face of an oppressive government, supporting human rights, fundamental freedoms, and democratic values by strengthening civil society and providing a better access to information.”
USAID, “responding to a request from Cuban authorities, . . provided personal protective equipment for [Cuban] firefighters in September 2022, more than a month after the fire that broke out on August 5 at the Matanzas Supertanker Base and caused the deaths of 17 people, mainly young people who were performing their mandatory military service.
=====================
[1] The US is committed to ‘continuing to promote the growth of the private sector’ in Cuba, Diario de Cuba (June 28, 2024) ;
House of Representatives, Foreign Affairs Comm., Subcommittee Hearing Announcement: “The Curse of Socialism in Central America and the Caribbean (June 20, 2024)
House of Representatives, Foreign Affairs Comm., Subcommittee Hearing, “The Curse of Socialism in Central America and the Caribbean (June 27, 2024)