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handle is hein.crs/govehlw0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Serv informing the IegsIlative debate since 1914 Cuba: U.S. Policy Overview Cuban Political and Economic Dev opments Cuba remains a one-party authoritarian state with a government that has sharply restricted freedoms of expression, association, assembly, and other basic human rights since the early years of the 1959 Cuban revolution. Miguel Diaz-Canel succeeded Radl Castro as president in 2018 and as head of the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) at its eighth party congress in April 2021. The departure of Castro and other older leaders from the PCC's Politburo reflects the generational change in Cuban leadership that began several years ago. While in power (2006-2018), Radl Castro (who succeeded his brother, longtime leader Fidel Castro) began to move Cuba toward a mixed economy with a stronger private sector, but his government's slow, gradualist approach did not produce major improvements. Cuba adopted a new constitution in 2019 that introduced some reforms but maintained the state's dominance over the economy and the PCC's predominant political role. The Cuban economy is being hard-hit by the economic shutdown associated with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; Venezuela's economic crisis, which has reduced Venezuelan financial support; and U.S. economic sanctions. The Cuban government reports the economy contracted almost 11% in 2020 and estimates 2% growth in 2021, although some economists maintain there was virtually no growth in 2021. In January 2021, Cuba eliminated its dual currency system; the long-debated reform has spurred inflation, with some estimates ranging from 300% to over 700% in 2021. Cuba's public health response to the pandemic initially kept cases and deaths low, but both increased in late 2020 and surged until August 2021. The country experienced another surge in cases in January 2022 due to the Omicron variant, but deaths remained low because of high vaccination rates. As of March 3, 2022, Cuba reported almost 8,500 deaths since the pandemic began and had fully vaccinated 87% of its population with its own COVID-19 vaccines. Increased Repression. Beginning in November 2020, the government cracked down on the San Isidro Movement (MSI), a civil society group opposed to restrictions on artistic expression. Motivated by the repression of the MSI, in February 2021, a group of well-known Cuban hip-hop recording artists released a song and music video, Patria y Vida, critical of the government that became an instant hit. On July 11, 2021, anti-government demonstrations broke out in Havana and cities and towns throughout the country, with thousands of Cubans protesting economic conditions (food and medicine shortages, blackouts) and long-standing concerns about the lack of freedom of expression. The government responded with harsh measures, including Updated March 4, 2022 widespread detentions of hundreds of protesters, activists, and journalists. The Cuban government also denied permission and disrupted plans for a dissident group to conduct a countrywide civic march for change in November 2021. Hundreds of the July 11 protestors have been tried and convicted, many in summary trials, with some receiving sentences of 20 years or more. As of March 3, 2022, the human rights group Cuban Prisoners Defenders (CPD) reported that Cuba had 1,007 political prisoners (up from 152 on July 1), of which 696 were imprisoned and considered prisoners of conscience by CPD, 198 were under some form of conditional release, and 113 were imprisoned for other politically motivated acts. U.S. Policy 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 late 2014, the Obama Administration initiated a policy shift away from sanctions and toward engagement and the 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 (2015-2016). The restoration of relations 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, issuing a national security presidential memorandum that introduced new sanctions, including restrictions on transactions with companies controlled by the Cuban military. By 2019, the Trump Administration had largely abandoned engagement and significantly increased sanctions, particularly on travel and remittances, to pressure Cuba on human rights and for its support of the Venezuelan government of Nicolas Maduro. In its initial months, the Biden Administration announced it was conducting a review of policy toward Cuba. The White House press secretary said in March 2021 that the Administration would make human rights a core pillar of policy and would review policy decisions made in the prior Administration, including the decision to designate Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism. In the aftermath of the July 11 protests, the Administration took several actions. President Biden and other Administration officials expressed solidarity with the protesters and criticized the Cuban government for its repression. In July and August 2021, the Treasury Department imposed four rounds of targeted financial sanctions on several Cuban security entities and officials

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