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handle is hein.crs/govedho0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Updated May 13, 2021 Cuba: U.S. Policy Overview Since the early 1960s, when the United States imposed a trade embargo on Cuba, the centerpiece of U.S. policy toward Cuba has consisted of economic sanctions aimed at isolating the Cuban government. In 2014, the Obama Administration initiated apolicy shift away from sanctions and toward engagement andthe normalization of relations. Changes included the rescission of Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of international terrorism(May 2015); the restoration of diplomatic relations (July 2015); and an easing of restrictions on travel, remittances, trade, telecommunications, and banking and financial services (2015 and 2016), accomplished through amendments to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations, administered by the Treasury Department, and the Export Administration Regulations, administered by the Commeice Department. The restoration ofrelations led to increased government-to-government engagement, with over 20 bilateral agreements and numerous dialogues. President Trump unveiled his Administration's Cuba policy in 2017, introducing new sanctions and rolling back efforts to normalize relations. By 2019, the Administration had largely abandoned engagement and, from2019 to January 2021, significantly increased s anctions (see discussion below)-especially on travel and remittances-to pressure the Cuban government on human rights and for its support of the Venezuelan government ofNicolas Maduro. Sanctions imposed under the Trump Administrationremain in place to date under the Biden Administration. During the U.S. election campaign, Biden s aid he wouldreverse Trump Adminis tration policies that harmed the Cuban people without advancing democracy andhuman rights. The White Housepress secretary said on March 9 that although a Cuba policy shift was notamong the President's top priorities, the Administration was committed to making human rights a core pillar ofpolicy and committed to carefully reviewing policy decisions made in the prior administration, including the decision to designate Cuba as a state sponsor ofterrorism. Cuban Political and Economic Developments. In April 2018, Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel succeeded Radl Castro as president, and in April2021, Dfaz-Canel succeeded Castro as head of the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) at its eighth party congress. The departure of Castro and other older leaders fromthe PCC's Politburo reflects the generational change in Cub an leadership that began several years ago. Even if Castro is gone fromthe political scene, the government's slogan, Somos continuidad (We are continuity), signals that political change is unlikely. While in power from2006 to 2018, Radl Castro began to implement significanteconomic policy changes, moving toward a more mixed economy with a strongerprivate sector, buthis government's slow, gradualist approach did not produce major improvements. Cuba adopted a new constitution in 2019 that introduced some reforms but continued the state's dominance over the economy and the PCC's predominant politicalrole. The Cuban economy is being hard-hit by theeconomic shutdown associated with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; Venezuela's economic crisis, which has reduced Venezuelan financial support; and increased U.S. economic sanctions. The Cuban government reports theeconomy contracted 11% in 2020. On January 1, 2021, Cuba eliminated its dual currency system, a major reform that was long debated. Economists maintain the currency reformwill have high costs initially but should boostproductivity and development over the longer term. Cuba's public health response to the pandemic initially kept cases and deaths low, but both beganto increase in late 2020 and have surgedrecently. As ofMay 12, 2021, the country reported 768 deaths andover 118,000 cases. Cuba has made progress on two vaccines it is developing, has begun trials that will cover 1.7 million people, and aims to have 70% of the population v accinated by August 2021. Cuba has a poor record on human rights, with the government sharply restricting freedoms of expression and other basic rights. As of May 3, 2021, the human rights group Cuban Prisoners Defenders reported 145 political prisoners (including 70imprisoned forreasonsof conscience and 40under conditionalrelease). Since November 2020, the government's crackdown on the San Isidro Movement, a civil society group opposed to restrictions on artistic expres sion, has focused international attention on the poor human rights situation. Trump Administration Sanctions. President Trump is s ued a nationals ecurity presidential memorandumin June 2017 that introduced new sanctions, including restrictions on transactions with companies controlled by the Cuban military. The State Department is sued a list ofrestricted entities in 2017, which was updated severaltimes, most recently January 8,2021. The Cuba restricted list includes 231 entities and s ubentities (minis tries, holding companies, hotels, stores, and a wide variety of companies). The Administration imposed a series of sanctions, discussed below, and initiated a campaign highlighting allegations of coercive labor practices in Cuba's medicalmis sions abroad. Ffforts to Stop Venezuelan Oil Exports to Cuba. Since April2019, the Treasury Department has imposed s anctions on s everal shipping companies and vessels that transported Venezuelan oilto Cuba. In July 2019, it s anctioned Cuba's state-run oilimport/export comp any. Lawsuits Related to ConfiscatedProperty. Effective May 2, 2019, the Administration allowed the right to file

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