U.S. State Department – Page 2

U.S. State Department Publishes Reviewed and Updated Integrated Country Strategy for Cuba

On May 10, 2024, the U.S. State Department published a Reviewed and Updated Integrated Country Strategy for Cuba (and other countries in the world). For Cuba It listed the following Chief of Mission Priorities: (1) Ensuring Consistent American Citizen Services; (2) Supporting Human Rights; (3) Encouraging an Empowered, Innovative, and Inclusive Cuban Society; (4) Protecting the Security of the United States and its Citizens; and (5) Building a Management Platform to Best Support U.S. goals and Future Mission Growth.[1]

Supporting Human Rights (Cuba)

“A generational transition to a post-Cuban Revolution leadership has failed to create significant changes: the Cuban government continues to use repressive measures, including incarceration, coercive economic policies, and misinformation to suppress the Cuban peoples’ freedoms. Approximately 1,000 political prisoners remain unjustly imprisoned in Cuba. Cuban authorities regularly harass, imprison, or force into exile those who express dissenting opinions.”

“In an environment where the state has criminalized dissent, the embassy continuously seeks to advance the cause of human rights in Cuba and hold the Cuban government accountable for its dismal human rights record. The Mission engages regularly with human rights activists, dissidents, and members of civil society, and we will continue to support independent media, access to information, and capacity building for independent civil society organizations. Additionally. the Embassy regularly presses the Cuban government for the release of political prisoners and works with the press and nongovernmental organizations to shed light on the lack of fundamental freedoms in Cuba.”

Encouraging an Empowered, Innovative, and Inclusive Cuban Society

“Cuba is experiencing the worst economic crisis in its history. Food scarcity, electricity and water shortages, and inflation make life difficult for Cubans. Incremental reforms of Cuba’s centrally planned economy – including the legal recognition of micro, small, and medium enterprises – have been insufficient to align Cuba’s economic needs with the realities of doing business in a global economy. The Embassy will continue to seek new ways to engage Cuba’s independent economic actors, foster Cuba’s entrepreneurial eco-system, while expanding outreach to improve the economic outlook for Afro- Cubans, women, and other historically disadvantaged groups.”

Reactions

These two Chief of Mission Priorities are worthy of support. It, however, was surprising at first glance that there was no mention of the problems created for Cuba by the U.S. embargo and listing Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism. But those are U.S. actions in Washington, D.C. by the President, Congress and State Department; they are not actions for the U.S. Embassy in Cuba.

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[1] State Dep’t, Integrated Country Strategies, Reviewed and Updated (May 10, 2024). It, therefore, supersedes the Department’s Integrated Country Strategy for Cuba (and other countries in the world) that was undated but released in February 2024 and that was discussed in a prior post, U.S. State Department’s Integrated Country Strategy for Cuba, dwkcommentaries.com (Feb. 16, 2024).

Cuba States That Its Cooperation Against Terrorism Invalidates U.S. Finding That Cuba Is a State Sponsor of Terrorism

A prior post reported that the U.S. State Department has removed Cuba from a U.S. list of states that do not cooperate against terrorism while simultaneously keeping Cuba on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. [1]

Cuban Foreign Ministry Response

In response, the Cuban Foreign Ministry pointed out the inconsistency of the U.S. positions and demanded that the U.S. also end its designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism. That Cuban statement directly stated, ‘The State Department itself maintains Cuba on a list designating states that allegedly ‘sponsor’ terrorism. This is nothing but a totally unilateral and unfounded list, whose only purpose is to smear and serve as a pretext for imposing coercive economic sanctions against them, as those ruthlessly imposed upon Cuba.” [2]

“The demand for the United States government to amend such an injustice continues to be firmly and repeatedly made not only by the Cuban people and many governments, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean, but also by political, social and religious organizations in the United States itself and by several U.S. politicians.”

“The clear and absolute truth is that Cuba does not sponsor terrorism, but it has been a victim of it instead, including State terrorism. This is a question that can be confirmed by anyone interested in the topic and that is very well-known by the government of the United States, its State Department and its intelligence and law enforcement agencies. They are also fully aware of how significantly harmful for the Cuban economy are the sanctions, actions and the intimidating effect that automatically have on any State having it included in such a list, regardless of what the truth might be.”

“It is not enough to recognize that Cuba fully cooperates with the United States. Cuba does so with the entire international community as well. That is a widely known fact and public opinion is not to be misled about it. The President of the United States has all the privileges to act honestly and to do what is right.”

Colombian Government Response

The Government of Colombia also reiterated its call for the U.S. to rescind its unjust designation of Cuba as an alleged State sponsor of terrorism, which ignores the Island’s commitment to the search for peace. The Colombian Foreign Ministry said that, due to foreign policy principles, it does not share this type of unilateral extraterritorial measures, and expressed its gratitude for the support and enormous efforts of Cuba to contribute to the search for peace in its territory.[3]

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[1 ]U.S. Excludes Cuba from List of Non-Cooperators Against Terrorism, dwkcommentaries.com (May 18, 2024).

[2 ] Statement of Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, May 16, 2024); Capote, If Cuba cooperates against terrorism, it is absurd to accuse it of being a sponsor, Granma (May 18, 2024).

[3] Colombia demanded to remove Cuba from the terrorism list, Granma (May 18, 2024).

U.S. Critical of Cuban Religious Freedom

On May 1 the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom published its annual report for 2023.[1]

This report included its List of Countries of Special Concern. In addition to Cuba the other countries on this list were Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

Report’s Key Findings on Cuba[2]

“In 2023, religious freedom conditions in Cuba remained extremely poor. The government maintained an oppressive legal framework that severely restricted peaceful religious activity, regularly harassed religious leaders and worshipers, and continued to wrongfully imprison individuals for their peaceful religious activity.”

“In May 2023, the Cuban government approved the Social Communication Law, which codifies broad prohibitions on peaceful expression, including religious expression that is critical of the government. The legislation expands the government’s already extensive authority to target individuals freely expressing their religious convictions. For example, the amended Cuban Penal Code criminalizes “contempt,” “public disorder,” and “resistance,” each of which may be used to punish the activities of religious leaders and worshipers perceived to be critical of the government. In addition, Decree Law 370 threatens independent journalists reporting on religious freedom with criminal charges and fines.”

“Throughout 2023, the Office of Religious Affairs (ORA) continued to regulate and control religious institutions. The Law of Associations requires religious organizations to apply to the Ministry of Justice, where the ORA is housed, for registration. Membership or association with an unregistered religious group is a crime and, despite existing criteria, registration decisions are often arbitrary and discriminatory. The ORA also exercises arbitrary control over the affairs of registered religious organizations and requires permission for virtually any activity other than regular worship services. Religious leaders and groups that are unregistered or conduct unsanctioned religious activity are subject to interrogation, detention, threats of prison sentences on false charges, and confiscation of property.”

“The government draws on its vast domestic security and surveillance apparatus to harass and intimidate religious leaders and worshipers, including through the Department of State Security, the National Revolutionary Police, and the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution. For example, Cuban authorities regularly and arbitrarily prevented individuals from peacefully gathering at religious sites and events. In January 2023, the government prohibited mothers of political prisoners from attending church to pray for their release. In March, police beat and detained a couple on their way to church after alleging that the couple was going to “take communion against communism.” In June, police prevented a journalist from attending the funeral mass of a priest whose remains had been transferred to the cathedral of Santiago de Cuba. In October, Cuban authorities detained two pastors who were scheduled to attend an event on the right to freedom of religion or belief. Additionally, authorities pressured individuals whose religious expressions ran afoul of government orthodoxy. In May, a professor threatened a university student with expulsion after the student refused to sign a document committing himself to Cuba’s governing ideology for reasons of religious conscience. And in September, police interrogated a young man who disseminated religiously inspired videos online and pressured him to refrain from speaking critically about the government.”

“Religious prisoners of conscience remain arbitrarily imprisoned for peacefully following their religious convictions. For example, Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo, the pastor and leader of the Monte de Sion Independent Church, has been in prison since 2021 for his peaceful participation in the protests on July 11, 2021. Twins Lisdani Rodríguez Isaac and Lisdiani Rodríguez Isaac, members of the Free Yorubas, an independent religious group, also remain imprisoned for their peaceful participation in the July 11 protests. The authorities denied the twins’ application for transfer to a lower-security prison.”

Report’s Recommendations to U.S. Government[3]

“Redesignate Cuba as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, for engaging in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, as defined by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA);”

“Urge Cuban authorities to extend an official invitation for unrestricted visits to USCIRF, the U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, and the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief; and”

“Impose targeted sanctions on Cuban government agencies and officials responsible for severe violations of religious freedom— including the ORA, the Department of State Security, the National Revolutionary Police, and the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution—by freezing those individuals’ assets and/or barring their entry to the United States under human rights-related financial and visa authorities.”

Report’s Recommendations to U.S. Congress[4]

“The U.S. Congress should: ”Highlight religious freedom concerns in Cuba through hearings and letters and by advocating for the release of religious prisoners of conscience such as Lisdiani Rodríguez Isaac, Lisdani Rodríguez Isaac, Donaida Pérez Paseiro, Loreto Hernández García, and Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo.”

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[1] U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, 2024 Annual Report (May 2024).The US maintains the Cuban regime on its blacklist of countries that violate religious freedom, Diario de Cuba (May 2, 2024)

[2] Report at 26.

[3] Ibid. The State Department on December 29, 2023, redesignated Cuba as a Country of Particular Concern. (U.S. Designates Cuba as a “Country of Particular Concern” Regarding Religious Freedom, dwkcommentaries.com (Jan. 6. 2024).

[4] Report at 26.

Latest U.S. Report on International Human Rights

On April 22, 2024, the U.S. State Department released its 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.[1]

Below are its Preface and Executive Summary about Cuban human rights.

Preface

The Report’s Preface by Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, stated the following:

“As mandated by Congress, every year since 1977, the State Department’s dedicated public servants in U.S. missions abroad and in Washington scrupulously examine, track, and document the state of human rights in nearly 200 countries and territories around the world. In compiling these “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices,” commonly known as the Human Rights Report (HRR), we have drawn from a variety of credible, fact-based sources, including reporting from government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and media. The HRR helps connect U.S. diplomatic and foreign assistance efforts to the fundamental American value of protecting and promoting respect for human rights for all, while helping to inform the work of civil society, human rights defenders, scholars, multilateral institutions, and others.”

“The President’s Summit for Democracy underscores the United States’ commitment to advancing respect for human rights, and to the promotion of democracy as the most effective system of government to secure them. We are pleased the third Summit for Democracy took place this year under the Republic of Korea’s leadership. Through the Summits for Democracy, the United States and other participating governments, along with partners from civil society, youth, and other stakeholders, seek to cement progress in human rights, foster democratic reforms, expand space for independent media, advance women’s rights, combat corruption, and make technology work for democracies and their people, not misused by malign actors as a tool of repression.”

“The year covered by this HRR coincided with the 75th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). In commemoration of the anniversary, the United States made several new commitments, including to renew investments around the world in democracy and human rights, to help protect human rights defenders online, and to advance racial and gender justice in the United States.”

“In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, one of the authors of the UDHR, ‘The destiny of human rights is in the hands of all our citizens in all our communities.’ We hope that this Report proves a useful contribution to that shared global effort, by chronicling both sobering developments in specific countries, as well as evidence of progress.”

“The Kremlin’s disregard and contempt for human rights are on full display in its war against Ukraine. Russian forces employ violence against civilians as a deliberate tool of warfare. The Report highlights documentation of human rights violations and abuses – some amounting to crimes against humanity – throughout the second year of Russia’s brutal, full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Civilians, including Ukrainian children, have suffered egregious abuses by Russian forces and other Russian officials. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian children have been transferred within Russia-occupied parts of Ukraine and/or deported to Russia, in many cases taken from their parents or lawful guardians and forced to take Russian names and citizenship. Russia is cracking down on its own citizens, bringing spurious criminal charges against hundreds of Russians who have spoken against Putin’s war of aggression.”

“Across Sudan, the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces have unleashed horrific violence, death, and destruction, including mass killings, unjust detentions, rape, and other forms of gender-based violence. In December, I determined that members of both forces engaged in war crimes, and that members of the Rapid Support Forces and allied militia engaged in crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing. Elsewhere in Africa, Uganda’s government took aim at the human rights of all Ugandans, enacting a broad, draconian anti-LGBTQI+ legislation, including the death penalty for ‘serial offenders.’”

“The conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza continues to raise deeply troubling concerns for human rights. Hamas’ brutal terrorist attacks on October 7 killed around 1,200 people, took approximately 230 Israeli and foreign hostages, and included appalling abuses, including gender-based violence and sexual violence. As Israel exercises its right to self-defense, we have made clear that it must conduct military operations in accordance with international law and take every feasible precaution to protect civilians. We continue to urgently raise concerns surrounding the deaths of and injuries to tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, including women, children, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable persons. We repeatedly have pressed concerns about Palestinian civilians’ access to humanitarian assistance, displacement of the majority of the population of Gaza, and the unprecedented number of journalists killed. We have repeatedly condemned Hamas’ abhorrent misuse of civilians and civilian infrastructure as human shields and its continued refusal to release all hostages. We also continue to condemn the record levels of violence in the West Bank, including attacks by violent extremist settlers against Palestinian civilians.”

“The Report illuminates the ongoing and brutal human rights abuses in Iran, where the regime’s violent repression of its citizens occurs at home and even abroad, including through acts of transnational repression targeting the regime’s perceived dissidents and critics. Iranian women and members of marginalized communities continue to suffer disproportionately from the regime’s human rights violations and abuses. Once detained, many prisoners have been harshly punished and even executed for spurious or unjust reasons.”

“The Report illustrates the Taliban’s systemic mistreatment of and discrimination against Afghanistan’s women and girls. The Taliban have issued over 50 decrees and edicts that effectively erase women from public life. Credible sources cited in the Report describe how the military regime in Burma continues to use brutal violence against the general population to consolidate its control, killing more than 4,000 people and detaining more than 25,000.”

“The Report documents ongoing grave human rights abuses in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). For example, in Xinjiang, the PRC continues to carry out genocide, crimes against humanity, forced labor, and other human rights violations against predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups.”

“In Cuba, more than 1,000 political prisoners are reportedly unjustly detained and subjected to harsh treatment; their family members are targets of threats as well. In Nicaragua, the Ortega-Murillo regime closed more than 300 civil society organizations in 2023, bringing the number of shuttered organizations to more than 3,500. The regime also stripped more than 300 individuals of their citizenship and is holding more than 100 political prisoners in appalling conditions.” (Emphasis added.)

“Yet, encouraging developments also can be found in this Report. For example, although members of marginalized and minority communities continued to suffer disproportionately from human rights violations and abuses in 2023, several countries made important progress. Kenya affirmed that freedom of expression and of assembly extend to LGBTQI+ persons. Japan enacted a bill to promote understanding of LGBTQI+ issues. LGBTQI+ persons in Estonia and Slovenia now benefit from legislation recognizing marriage equality.”

“To advance the rights and freedoms of persons with disabilities, the Ministry of Education in Jordan appointed 600 individuals to implement inclusive education programming across the country to ensure children with disabilities could attend school and have the necessary support to enable their learning.”

“The Report also notes advances in implementing labor reforms in Mexico, where workers are overcoming obstacles to organizing and starting to improve working conditions. As I noted when I helped launch the Biden-Harris Administration’s Global Labor Directive at APEC in San Francisco, advancing labor rights globally boosts American workers and bolsters middle class aspirations here at home.”

“This Report could not have been compiled without the selfless work of human rights defenders, independent journalists, and other civil society leaders whose daily work to advance human rights is an inspiration to us all. I hope that the honest and public assessments of human rights abuses, as well as the reports of progress, reflected in these pages gives strength to these brave individuals across the globe who often put their lives at risk to improve conditions in their own countries, and, ultimately, make the world a freer, safer place for us all.”

Executive Summary about Cuba. [2]

“There were no significant changes in the human rights situation in Cuba during the year.”

“Significant human rights issues included credible reports of: arbitrary or unlawful killings, including extrajudicial killings; torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment by the government; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention; serious problems with the independence of the judiciary; political prisoners; transnational repression against individuals in another country; arbitrary or unlawful interference with privacy; punishment of family members for alleged offenses by a relative; serious restrictions on freedom of expression and media freedom, including violence or threats of violence against journalists, unjustified arrests or prosecutions of journalists, censorship, and enforcement or threat to enforce criminal libel laws to limit expression; serious restrictions on internet freedom; substantial interference with the freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association, including overly restrictive laws on the organization, funding, or operation of nongovernmental and civil society organizations; restrictions of religious freedom; restrictions on freedom of movement and residence within the country and on the right to leave the country; inability of citizens to change their government peacefully through free and fair elections; serious and unreasonable restrictions on political participation; serious government corruption; extensive gender-based violence, including femicide and other forms of such violence; trafficking in persons, including a policy or pattern of state-sponsored forced labor; and prohibiting independent trade unions and significant and systematic restrictions on workers’ freedom of association.””

“The government did not take significant steps to identify and punish officials who may have committed human rights abuses.”

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[1] U.S. State Dep’t, 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices (Apeil 22, 2024).

[2] U.S. State Dep’t, 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Cuba (April 22, 2024); The US State Department has ‘credible reports’ on arbitrary executions and torture in Cuba, Diario de Cuba April 22, 2024).

U.S. State Department Official Visits Cuba

Between February 20 and 23, Kerri Hannan, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Diplomacy, Policy, Planning and Coordination of the Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs, visited Cuba and “met with civil society and emphasized the United States’ support for human rights.”

‘She met with independent Cuban businessmen to learn about the challenges they face and demonstrate the United States’ continued support for the Cuban people and the Cuban private sector. She also met with Cuban government officials and insisted on the release of political prisoners.” [1]

This visit “prioritized interactions with marginalized communities, including Afro-Cubans and human rights activists. By amplifying [their] voices and defending [their] rights, she reaffirmed America’s commitment to upholding the universal principles of dignity and equality.”

In addition, by “meeting with independent Cuban business owners, Deputy Undersecretary Hannan learned firsthand how they provide food, supplies, employment and economic opportunities to the Cuban people. She explored with them how the U.S. government can boost Cuba’s independent private sector with exchanges and other aid.”

Hannan is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and also covers issues related to the People’s Republic of China for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. Previously she had posts in Luxembourg, Bolivia, Argentina and India, as well as Spokesperson at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. She has an undergraduate degree in zoology and a master’s degree in Latin American Studies with a concentration in Tropical Conservation and Development from the University of Florida.[2]

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[1] U.S. Embassy in Havana, Deputy Undersecretary Kerri S. Hannan Visits Havana (Feb. 23, 2024); US Undersecretary Kerri Hannan exchanges with Cuban authorities and private businessmen, Diario de Cuba (Feb. 26, 2024).

[2] U.S. State Dep’t, Biography: Kerri Hannan.

Expansion of U.S. State Department’s Integrated Country Strategy for Cuba

A prior post discussed the portions of the State Department’s undated (but approved 5/27/22) Integrated Country Strategy for Cuba that set forth the following two of ‘three key priorities:” (1) “supporting Cubans seeking to exercise their universal human rights;” and (3) “encouraging the growth of an empowered, innovative, and inclusive Cuba.” [1]

Since then the Department has reissued that ICS for Cuba (again without a date (other than stating they also had been approved 5/27/22)) with additional sections for (2) Mission Strategic Framework; (3) Mission Goals and Objectives; and (4) Management Objectives.[2] Here is a discussion of those first two additional sections.

Mission Strategic Framework

For Mission Goal 1 (Advance human rights in Cuba), this document listed the following as Mission Objectives:

1.1: “Promote respect for human rights and support human rights activists.”

“Justification: With hundreds of Cubans facing decades-long prison sentences for peaceful protests in 2021, the cause of promoting respect for human rights and raising global awareness about those arbitrarily imprisoned by the regime is as desperately needed as ever. Creating space, through our support and advocacy, for them to do their work is vital. This includes Cuba’s independent media, which is under constant threat.”
“Risks: The Cuban government actively represses human rights activists with threats, fines, and arbitrary detentions. It uses every authoritarian tactic at its disposal to block both U.S. and international efforts to foster basic respect for universal human rights. Persistent engagement and support for these individuals is essential and helps mitigate the great personal peril they face for their activism.”

1.2: “Identify and engage the next generation of Cuban civil society leaders in support of their democratic aspirations”

“Justification: Cuba’s future will be determined by its youth. To build a future with greater economic and political freedoms, they need to remain connected with each other and the outside world. In contrast, the regime actively attempts to frustrate those efforts and to condemn its youth to de-facto exile or imprisonment simply for publicly expressing dissent.”
“Risks: Cuba does not permit a civil society to exist independent of Communist Party control. Members of civil society organizations, the independent press, and similar interests live under constant threat.”

For Mission Goal 3 (Encourage the growth of an empowered, innovative, and inclusive Cuban society), this subsequent document listed the following as one of the Mission Objectives:

“3.1 Support the development of private economic activity and encourage a more open economy through engagement with entrepreneurs and private businesses.”

“Justification: Cuba’s route to a more prosperous future lies in the innovation and enterprise of the Cuban people. U.S. economic outreach is designed to support and empower Cuba’s private sector innovators, as they seek new pathways to prosperity, through programs that build their capacity and link them with the broader global economy.”
“Risks: For many years, Cuban reforms to permit and foster private economic activity have followed a pattern of slow implementation, insufficient measures, followed by periods of retrenchment. One of the many factors that constrains Cuba’s economic growth is the risk that any private sector reforms could (and have been) easily be rescinded.”

Reactions

As expressed in the prior post on this subject, the logical, complicated structure of the Department’s Integrated Country Strategy makes one wonder whether such complexity will interfere with the Department’s meeting the constantly changing, complex problems of the world and whether the Department’s costs for doing this for every country in the world is a waste of money.

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[1] U.S. State Department’s Integrated Country Strategy for Cuba, dwkcommentaries.com (Feb. 16, 2024).

[2] U.S. State Department, Integrated Country Strategy for Cuba (Approved May 27, 2022).

U.S. Recommends Cuba Should Include More Disabled Cubans in Society

On February 1, 2024, the U.S. State Department’s Special Advisor for International Disability Rights, Sara Minkara, advocated that Cuba should have greater inclusion of Cubans with disabilities in all aspects of society. This followed her January 29-31 visit to Havana and meetings with Cuban government representatives, independent Cuban businessmen, alumni of programs sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Havana and students from educational institutions in Havana.[1]

During her visit, Minkara “stressed that policies that promote inclusion, diversity and equality in the workplace foster economic growth and respect for human rights throughout society. [She] also emphasized the importance of breaking down physical and cultural barriers for people with disabilities to build a world in which ‘society demands the inclusion of people with disabilities.’”

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[1] More inclusion for Cubans with disabilities, a senior US official asks in Havana, Diario de Cuba (Feb. 2, 2024); U.S. Embassy (Havana), Sara Minkara, Special Advisor on International Rights of Persons with Disabilities, visits Havana (Feb. 1, 2024); U.S. State Dep’t, Biography: Sara Minkara.

U.S. House Hearing on Cuban Private Enterprise

On January 18, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere Affairs held a hearing that opened with its chair, Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (Rep., FL), delivering a speech entitled “The Myth of the New Cuban Entrepreneurs: An Analysis of the Biden Administration’s Cuba Policy.”[1]

Salazar said, “according to information she has, the growth of private enterprises in Cuba is a ‘scheme’ by the Cuban government to violate the U.S. embargo and that only the children of Cuban leaders have an easy path to own these businesses.” That comment was echoed by Rep. Mark Green, a Tennessee Republican, saying, “the Cuban military is embedded in every single business, so the concept of a private sector is almost non-existent in the country.”

At the end of the hearing, however, after hearing about the Biden Administration’s position discussed below, Salazar “seemed to have softened her initial stance, telling the State Department officials that Republicans are ‘on the same page.’ Apparently contradicting her early views, she asked, “How can we help this administration really help those small business owners in Cuba that have no contact or connection with the regime to open up a good store if they want or to own a privately owned business? What can we do together?”

The Biden Administration’s Position on Cuban Private Enterprise

Eric Jacobstein, deputy assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs, testified at the hearing, “In an acute twist of irony, the island’s communist government must now rely on private enterprise to provide food and basic services for its people. We believe the organic expansion of the private sector on the island – led by the Cuban people themselves and not by any foreign government – is an opportunity that should not be wasted. Above all, we must encourage the freedom of Cuban citizens to define their economic future. Failing to engage and support Cuba’s private sector would leave space for Russia and the [People’s Republic of China] to shape the direction of the Cuban economy. We must not allow this to happen.”

Jacobstein added, “We believe the organic expansion of the private sector on the island – led by the Cuban people themselves and not by any foreign government – is an opportunity that should not be wasted. Above all, we must encourage the freedom of Cuban citizens to define their economic future. Failing to engage and support Cuba’s private sector would leave space for Russia and the [People’s Republic of China] to shape the direction of the Cuban economy. We must not allow this to happen.” Moreover, “the private businesses give some young Cubans reasons to stay on the island despite the challenges. . . . In an acute twist of irony, the island’s communist government must now rely on private enterprise to provide food and basic services for its people,”

Enrique Roig, the deputy assistant secretary in the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, said that “the Biden administration is not solely focused on supporting independent private entrepreneurs but also on improving the human-rights situation on the island. In particular, the administration has pushed for the release of about 1,000 political prisoners.”

Rep. Joaquin Castro (Dem, TX), the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, said, the U.S. should support Cuban entrepreneurial efforts, not stifle them.” He added, “Our policies of the last 60 years have not resulted in the changes we would like to see; in some cases, they have even emboldened the Cuban government and strengthened their relationship with key adversaries like China and Russia. The United States can both recognize the threat that the Cuban regime poses to regional and national security while also engaging on key priorities and supporting the Cuban people’s efforts to further their own democratic aspirations.” This includes embracing “former President Barack Obama’s engagement policies, including removing Cuba from the list of countries that sponsor terrorism,” calling it ‘a baseless, extremely harmful designation.’

California Democrat Sydney Kamlager-Dove said that the denial that the Cuban private sector truly exists was a “conspiracy theory.”

Other Comments on Cuban Private Enterprises

Before the hearing, John Kavulich, the president of the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council, a Washington-based organization tracking business with Cuba, wrote in the Cubatrade blog, “The hearing premise is established on a falsehood” and that it is “wrong” to define those who have created and manage the private enterprises “as participants in a myth, as dupes of the government … rather than instruments of change. [The Cuban government] “does not embrace the re-emerging private sector. It’s tolerated. That should not mean the United States Congress should dismiss it. Or worse, work against it. “

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[1] Torres, Republicans and Democrats in Congress clash over the existence of the private sector in Cuba, Miami Herald (Jan. 18, 2024),

U.S. Accuses Cuba of Being a State-Sponsor of Trafficking in Persons

The exceedingly lengthy U.S. 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report was released on January 15, 2024. It set the stage by stating that in 2019 the U.S. amended its Trafficking Victims Protection Act to define a “State Sponsor or Trafficking in Persons” as a government “with a documented ‘policy or pattern’ of human trafficking, trafficking in government-funded programs, forced labor in government-affiliated medical services or other sectors, sexual slavery in government camps, or the employment or recruitment of child soldiers.”[i]

The report then identified Cuba and 10 other governments as being such State Sponsors (Tier 3), which has the following definition: “Countries whose governments do not fully meet the TVPA’s minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so.” Here is what this report said about Cuba:

“The Government of Cuba does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and, even considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, if any, on its anti-trafficking capacity, is not making significant efforts to do so; therefore Cuba remained on Tier 3. Despite the lack of significant efforts, the government took some steps to address trafficking, including amending the penal code to include the criminalization of labor trafficking, and the requirement of force, fraud, and coercion as essential elements of an adult trafficking offense. However, during the reporting period, there was a government policy or pattern to profit from labor export programs with strong indications of forced labor, particularly in the foreign medical missions’ program. The government continued to deploy Cuban workers to foreign countries using deceptive and coercive tactics. It failed to address trafficking crimes despite an increasing number of allegations from credible NGOs, former participants, and foreign governments of Cuban officials’ involvement in abuses. The government did not consistently inform participants of the terms of their contracts, which varied from country to country; it confiscated their passports and professional credentials; and kept a significant amount of workers’ wages. The government used its legal framework to threaten, coerce, and punish workers and their family members if participants left the program.’

The report also provided the following summary of its “Trafficking Profile” of Cuba:

“As reported over the past five years, human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Cuba, and traffickers exploit victims from Cuba abroad. Sex trafficking and sex tourism, including of child victims, occur within Cuba. Traffickers exploit Cuban citizens in sex trafficking and forced labor in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Latin America, and the United States. Traffickers exploit foreign nationals from Africa and Asia in sex trafficking and forced labor in Cuba to pay off travel debts. The government identified children, young women, elderly, and disabled persons as the most vulnerable to trafficking. LGBTQI+ individuals and economic migrants are vulnerable to sex trafficking. Professional baseball players are vulnerable to labor trafficking. The government uses some high school students in rural areas to harvest crops without paying them for their work but claims this work is voluntary. Government officials may be forcibly recruiting children to join community military brigades charged with repressing citizens who gathered in protest against the regime.”
“International observers and former participants reported government officials force or coerce individuals to participate and remain in the Cuban government’s labor export programs, particularly the foreign medical missions program, managed by the Unidad Central de Cooperación Médica, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment. Government-affiliated Cuban workers serving abroad were subjected to labor trafficking by inherently coercive laws and regulations that authorities used to manipulate workers to remain in the program. The Ministry of Interior labeled workers that did not return to the island upon the completion of their assignment as ‘deserters,’ a category that under Cuban immigration law deemed them as ‘undesirable.’ The government banned workers labeled as deserters and undesirables from returning to Cuba for eight years. In addition, the government categorized Cuban nationals that did not return to the country within 24 months as having ‘emigrated.’ Individuals who emigrated lost all their citizen protections, rights, and any property left behind, and – if they also defected from a civilian mission – were not allowed to visit their families remaining in Cuba. These government provisions coerced workers and punished those that sought to exercise freedom of movement and will. A report on the rights of the child – published by an international organization – noted concern over Cuba’s policy to prohibit parents who terminated a civilian contract abroad from reuniting with their children. According to an international NGO, by 2021, the Cuban government had sanctioned 40,000 professionals under these provisions, and in 2022, there were approximately 5,000 children forcibly separated from their parents due to the government’s provisions for the program. The government promoted the program as altruistic, seeking new countries to partner with, and increasing its profit at the expense of desperately vulnerable and disempowered workers. Authorities did not respond to the allegations presented by thousands of former participants who reported exploitation and trafficking. According to a government report, by the end of 2021, there were 41 brigades of the “Henry Reeve” contingent in 59 countries, compared with 56 Henry Reeve brigades in 40 countries with 4,941 medical workers in 2020.. . . There were roughly 28,000 workers in over 60 countries by the end of 2021. Authorities employ workers through contracts with foreign governments and, in some countries, international organizations serve as intermediaries or provide funds for their work. According to the government, medical professionals comprise 75 percent of its exported workforce. Experts estimate the Cuban government collects $6 billion to $8 billion annually from its export of services, namely the foreign medical missions program. Workers reportedly receive only a portion of their salary, ranging from five to 25 percent, and their salary is retained in Cuban bank accounts – often in Cuban pesos rather than the currency the government is paid for their services; the government seizes the workers’ accumulated salaries if they leave the program. The conditions of each brigade vary from country to country. . . “
“In 2021, and with the support of an international NGO, 1,111 alleged trafficking victims filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court and the UN, claiming the Cuban government exploited them and forced them to work in the labor export programs. The complaint stated that 75 percent of participants did not volunteer for the program, 33 percent never saw a contract, 69 percent did not know their final destination, 38 percent had their passport confiscated by Cuban officials once they arrived at their destination, 76 percent had “minders,” 76 percent could not freely associate with locals, 79 percent had restrictions on their movement, 91 percent were told they could not return to Cuba if they defected, 75 percent suffered threats or witnessed coworkers being threatened, and 40 percent were separated from their children as punishment for defecting. The Cuban government acknowledges it withholds passports of overseas medical personnel in Venezuela; the government provided identification cards to such personnel. Many Cuban medical personnel claim they work long hours without rest and face substandard and dangerous working and living conditions in some countries, including a lack of hygienic conditions and privacy, and are forced to falsify medical records. Many medical professionals reported being sexually abused by their supervisors. While the medical missions remain the most prevalent, the government profited from other similarly coercive labor export programs, including teachers, artists, athletes, sports coaches, engineers, forestry technicians, and nearly 7,000 merchant mariners across the world.”

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[i] U.S. State Dep’t, 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report (Jan. 15, 2024).

U.S. State Department Says U.S. Policies Support Cuban Democracy

At the December 14 U.S. State Department press conference the subject of the recent repeated U.S. inclusion of Cuba on the list of state sponsors of terrorism was addressed.[1]

It was prompted by this reporter’s question:

“At the end of the Trump administration, they designated Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terror. Last week in a briefing with Congress, the State Department told members of Congress that they have not even begun a review of whether Cuba should be removed from the State Sponsor of Terror list. As you know, there’s been 450,000 migrants that have flown out of Cuba over the last two years. The economy has been decimated as a result of this designation. Why hasn’t the review begun?”

The response by the Department’s Spokesperson, Matthew Miller, [2] was the following:

“As we have said previously, should there be any rescission of the State Sponsor of Terrorism status, it would need to be consistent with a specific statutory criteria for rescinding that determination. Any review of Cuba’s status on the list, should one ever happen, would be based on the law and the criteria established by Congress, but the President and Secretary Blinken remain committed to the policies that we have advanced that will advance the democratic aspirations of the Cuban people.”

Conclusion

The most recent inclusion of Cuba on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism occurred on November 30, 2023. As that report indicated, “Cuba’s designation was rescinded in 2015 [by the Obama Administration] after a thorough review found that the country met the statutory criteria for rescission.” And this blog stated that “is still the proper conclusion.”[3]

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[1] U.S. State Dep’t, Department Press Briefing—December 14, 2023; USA: ‘the policies adopted are to support the democratic aspirations of the people of Cuba,’ Diario de Cuba (Dec. 15, 2023).

[2] “Matthew Miller is the Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State. He previously served as a special advisor to the National Security Council at the White House, leading the U.S. government’s communications and legislative affairs on the war in Ukraine. During the Biden transition, he ran Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s confirmation. Miller served as the Director of the Office of Public Affairs at the Department of Justice during the Obama administration and has worked in leadership positions in both the U.S. House and Senate, serving as communications director for the House Democratic Caucus and for Senator Charles Schumer at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Miller has also worked for Senator Robert Menendez and for numerous political campaigns, including the 2004 Kerry presidential campaign and the 2012 Obama campaign. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.”(U.S. State Department, Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson (April 24, 2023—Present).)

[3] Cuba Still on U.S. List of State Sponsors of Terrorism, dwkcommentaries.com (Dec. 1, 2023).