U.S. policies regarding Cuba

President Trump Directs Strengthening U.S. Policy Towards Cuba

On June 30, U.S. President Donald J. Trump directed a strengthening of U.S. policy regarding Cuba by issuing a National Security Presidential Memorandum and the Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Strengthens the Policy of the United States Toward Cuba.[1]

The Fact Sheet provides the following summary of the National Security Presidential Memorandum (HSPM):

“Strengthen the Policy of the U.S. toward Cuba”

“This NSPM restores and strengthens the robust Cuba policy from the President’s first term, reversing the Biden Administration’s revocation that eased pressure on the Cuban regime.”
“The NSPM ends economic practices that disproportionately benefit the Cuban government, military, intelligence, or security agencies at the expense of the Cuban people.”
- “Direct or indirect financial transactions with entities controlled by the Cuban military, such as Grupo de Administration Impresario S.A. (GAESA), and its affiliates are prohibited, with exceptions for transactions that advance U.S. policy goals or support the Cuban people.”
“It enforces the statutory ban on U.S. tourism to Cuba and ensures compliance through regular audits and mandatory record-keeping of all travel-related transactions for at least five years.”
“The NSPM supports the economic embargo of Cuba and opposes calls in the United Nations and other international forums for its termination.”
“The NSPM amplifies efforts to support the Cuban people through the expansion of internet services, free press, free enterprise, free association, and lawful travel.”
“It ensures the ‘Wet Foot, Dry Foot’ policy remains terminated to discourage dangerous, unlawful migration.”
“The NSPM ensures that engagement between the United States and Cuba advances the interests of the United States and the Cuban people, including through promoting human rights, fostering a private sector independent of government control, and enhancing national security.”
“The NSPM mandates a review of human rights abuses in Cuba, including unlawful detentions and inhumane treatment, and requires a report on fugitives from American justice living in Cuba or being harbored by the Cuban government.”

“Promoting A Stable, Prosperous, and Free Cuba:

“President Trump is committed to fostering a free and democratic Cuba, addressing the Cuban people’s long-standing suffering under a Communist regime.”

“The Cuban people have long suffered under a Communist regime that suppresses their legitimate aspirations for freedom and prosperity, arbitrarily detains dissidents, and holds political prisoners in inhumane conditions.”
“Violence and intimidation against dissidents occur with impunity, while families of political prisoners face retaliation for their advocacy,”
“The regime harasses worshippers, blocks free association by civil society organizations, and denies free speech, including through limited internet access and the absence of a free press.”
“The Cuban government harbors fugitives of American justice and fails to meet the basic requirements of a free and just society.”

“Holding the Cuban Regime Accountable:

“President Trump is continuing efforts from his first term to stand with the Cuban people and hold the regime accountable.”

“In his first term, President Trump implemented a robust policy towards Cuba, reversing the Obama Administration’s one-sided deal that eased restrictions without securing meaningful reforms for the Cuban people.”
“Now, President Trump is once again implementing a firm policy stance.
“President Trump is fulfilling his campaign promise: “As president, I will again stand with the people of Cuba in their long quest for justice, liberty and freedom.”
“President Trump also recently implemented a new travel ban that applies to Cuba.’”
“It lists Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism and cites its failure to cooperate or share sufficient law enforcement information with the United States, its historical refusal to accept back its removable nationals, and its high visa overstay rate.”

Public Commentary on these Measures[2]

Matthew Lee of the Associated Press noted that these changes were not surprising except for its call for the U.S. to find “ways to shut down all tourism to the island and to restrict educational tours to groups that are organized only by American citizens.”

The Trump administration also has made Cuba one of seven countries facing heightened restrictions on visitors and revoked temporary legal protections for about 300,000 Cubans, which had protected them from deportation. The administration also has announced visa restrictions on Cuban and foreign government officials involved in Cuba’s medical missions, which Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called ‘forced labor.’”

Lee quoted Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez as saying these U.S. measures “strengthens the aggression & economic blockade that punishes the whole Cuban people and is the main obstacle to our development. It’s a criminal behavior that violates the #Human rights of an entire nation.”

Lee also stated that Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio recently had said that the U.S. was “trying to discredit [Cuban] medical missions” and had “criticized reversal of policy of [U.S.] policy welcoming Cubans to the U.S.”

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[1] Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Strengthens the Policy of the United States Toward Cuba, White House (June 30, 2025). National Security Presidential Memorandum/NSPM-5, White House (June 30, 2025);

[2] Lee (AP), Trump moves to toughen US policy on Cuba, Wash. Post (June 30, 2025).

State Department Secret Memo from 1960 Set Basis for Subsequent U.S. Policies Regarding Cuba

On April 6, 1960, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs, Lester Mallory, wrote a Secret Memorandum for Roy Richard Rubottom, Jr., who then was Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, titled “The Decline and Fall of Castro.” [1]

This memo first set forth the following facts about Cuba that Mallory thought were established:

“The majority of Cubans support Castro (the lowest estimate I have seen is 50 percent).”
“There is no effective political opposition.”
“Fidel Castro and other members of the Cuban Government espouse or condone communist influence.”
“Communist influence is pervading the Government and the body politic at an amazingly fast rate.”

Therefore, Mallory asserted, “The only foreseeable means of alienating internal support is through disenchantment and disaffection based on economic dissatisfaction and hardship.” (Emphasis added.)

Mallory then said, “If the above are accepted or cannot be successfully countered,, it follows that every possible means should be undertaken promptly to weaken the economic life of Cuba. If such a policy is adopted, it should be the result of a positive decision which would call forth a line of action which, while as adroit and inconspicuous as possible, makes the greatest inroads in denying money and supplies to Cuba, to decrease monetary and real wages, to bring about hunger, desperation, and overthrow of government.” (Emphasis added.)

According to U.S. historian Thomas G. Patterson, Mallory became “the official most responsible for defining United States Cuban policy” in the years immediately surrounding the 1959 Cuban revolution.[2]

On February 2, 2022, which was the 60^th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s “executive order imposing ‘an embargo on all trade with Cuba,’ the [U.S.] National Security Archive . . .[posted] a collection of previously declassified documents that record the origins, rationale, and early evolution of punitive economic sanctions against Cuba in the aftermath of the Castro-led revolution. The documents show that the initial concept of U.S. economic pressure was to create ‘hardship’ and ‘disenchantment’ among the Cuban populace and to deny ‘money and supplies to Cuba, to decrease monetary and real wages, [and] to bring about hunger, desperation, and the overthrow of [the] government.’ However, a CIA case study of the embargo, written twenty years after its imposition, concluded that the sanctions ‘have not met any of their objectives.’” (Emphasis added.)[3]

Cuba’s Reactions to the Mallory Memorandum[4]

A year after the release of the Mallory Memorandum, Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla “condemned . . . the validity of [this document] and its repercussions on the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the U.S. on our country on the occasion of the 63rd anniversary of the promulgation of the document. . . [Such] inhuman policy of maximum pressure and economic asphyxiation ignores the universal clamor for a better Cuba without a blockade. “The Foreign Minister added, “the U.S. government applies the script of the Mallory Memorandum, enacted 63 years ago,” but fails in its “attempt to subjugate a sovereign nation, a bastion of dignity and creative resistance.”

Conclusion

Although this blogger has done a lot of independent research and writing of blog posts about U.S.-Cuba relations, including criticism of many U.S. policies regarding the island, he had never heard of Mallory or this long-held secret document until now and is surprised that the first official Cuban comment regarding the Mallory memorandum that he has found occurred a year after its secret status was rescinded.

Comments from readers of this blog with insights on these issues would be appreciated.

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[1] State Department , Memorandum, “The Decline and Fall of Castro, SECRET, April 6, 1960; State Department Office of the Historian , Roy Richard Rubottom Jr.,

[2] R. Richard Rubottom, Who Helped Shape Cuban Policy, Dies at 98, N.Y. Times ( Dec. 19, 2010).

[3] National Security Archive, Cuba Embargoes: U.S. Trade Sanctions Turn Sixty (Feb. 2, 2022). This release included “A Brief Chronological History of the U.S. Embargo Against Cuba” that started with the Mallory Memorandum. The author of this “History” was William M. LeoGrande, a noted scholar of U.S. -Cuba relations.

[4] Cuban Foreign Minister condemns the validity of the Mallory Memorandum and its repercussions on U.S. policy toward Cuba, Granma (Apr. 20, 2023)

Strong Recommendation for New U.S. Policy for Engagement with Cuba

On December 17 a strong recommendation for a new U.S. policy for engagement was put forward by the Center for Democracy in the Americas and the Washington Office on Latin America.[1]

It sets forth the Case for Engagement; the First Nine Months of the Biden Administration (Repairing the Damage); The Second Year [of the Biden Administration] (Taking the Initiative); and Finishing the Job: A Legislative Agenda.

For example, here are the major points of its Case for Engagement that advance the interests of the U.S. and those of the Cuban people:

“Engagement begins with constructive diplomacy that includes cooperation on issues of mutual interest and negotiations on issues in conflict.”
“Engagement is a more effective strategy to advance the cause of human rights, political liberty, and economic reform.”
“Engagement must include civil society—cultural, educational, scientific, and familial linkages that foster mutual understanding, reconciliation, and cultural enrichment for both peoples.”
“Engagement will facilitate commercial ties, expanding the market for U.S. businesses, raising the standard of living for the Cuban people, and encouraging economic reform.”
“Engagement will serve as a counterweight to the aspirations that global competitors like Russia and China have in Cuba.”
“Engagement accomplished in two years more than the policy of hostility achieved in sixty years.”

The Center for Democracy in the Americas is “a non-partisan 501(c )(3) institution dedicated to promoting a U.S. policy toward the Americas based on engagement and mutual respect, fostering dialogue with those governments and movements with which U.S. policy is at adds, and recognizing positive trends in democracy and governance.” It was founded in 2008 by Sarah Stevens.[2]

The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) is “ a leading research and advocacy organization advancing human rights in the Americas. We envision a future where public policies protect human rights and recognize human dignity, and where justice overcomes violence. WOLA tackles problems that transcend borders and demand cross-border solutions. We create strategic partnerships with courageous people making social change—advocacy organizations, academics, religious and business leaders, artists, and government officials. Together, we advocate for more just societies in the Americas.”[3]

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[1] Democracy in the Americas, The United States and Cuba; A New Policy of Engagement (Dec. 17, 2020); Center Democracy in Americas, Joint Press Release. The Washington Office on Latin America and the Center for Democracy in the Americas publish “The United States and Cuba: A New Policy of Engagement” (Dec. 17, 2020); WOLA., The United States and Cuba: A New Policy of Engagement (Dec.2020).

[2] Center for Democracy in the Americas, Our Work.

[3] WOLA, About Us.

Implications for Cuba of Dismissal/Resignation of John Bolton as U.S. National Security Advisor

While acting as National Security Advisor, John Bolton was a strong advocate for U.S. hostility towards Cuba.[1] His dismissal on September 10 [2] raised the hope that this might lead to the U.S. backing away from at least some of these hostile policies.

Those hopes apparently were unjustified.[3]

On September 12, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio tweeted, “Just spoke to [President Trump] on #Venezuela. It’s true he disagreed with some of the views of previous advisor [John Bolton]. But as he reminded me it’s actually the DIRECT OPPOSITE of what many claim or assume. If in fact the direction of policy changes it won’t be to make it weaker.”

This was confirmed by the President in his tweet later the same day: “In fact, my views on Venezuela, and especially Cuba, were far stronger than those of John Bolton. He was holding me back!”

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[1] E.g., John Bolton’s New Threat Against Cuba, dwkcommentaries.com (Apr. 2, 2019); National Security Advisor Bolton Discusses New U.S. Sanctions Against Cuba, dwkcommentaries.com (April 19, 2019).

[2] Baker, Trump Ousts John Bolton as National Security Advisor, N.Y. Times (Sept. 10, 2019).

[3] Rubio, Tweet (Sept. 12, 2019); Trump, Tweet (Sept. 12, 2019); Trump: My views on Venezuela and Cuba were stronger than those of John Bolton, Cubadebate (Sept. 13, 2019).