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1 1 (November 17, 2021)

handle is hein.crs/govehlx0001 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 Devopments 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 Dfaz-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 11% in 2020 and projects around 2% growth in 2021. In January 2021, Cuba eliminated its dual currency system; the long-debated reform has spurred inflation, but economists maintain it should boost productivity in the long term. 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. As of November 17, Cuba had reported over 8,200 deaths and had fully vaccinated almost 77% of its population. Cuba has produced its own COVID- 19 vaccines, and it eased requirements for foreign visitors beginning November 15. Increased Repression. Beginning in November 2020, the government has 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, widespread anti-government demonstrations broke out in Havana and in cities and towns throughout the country, with thousands of Cubans protesting shortages of food and medicine, daily blackouts, slow progress on COVID-19 vaccinations, and long- standing concerns about the lack of freedom of expression. The government responded with harsh measures, including widespread detentions of hundreds of protesters, activists, Updated November 17, 2021 and journalists, and Cuban human rights groups reported summary trials for some of those detained. In October 2021, Human Rights Watch issued a report documenting human rights abuses, including arbitrary detentions, ill- treatment in detention, and abusive criminal proceedings against 130 protesters. As of November 4, the human rights group Cuban Prisoners Defenders (CPD) reported 591 political prisoners (up from 152 on July 1), of which 375 were imprisoned and considered prisoners of conscience by CPD, 143 were under conditional release, and 73 were imprisoned for other politically motivated acts. The Cuban government denied permission and disrupted plans for a new dissident group, Archipidlago, to conduct a countrywide civic march for change on November 15. The government used police, state security, and civilian pro-government mobs to thwart the planned protests. Cuban officials also had threatened opposition leaders with prosecution, and President Dfaz-Canel accused the United States of playing a role in fomenting the protests. 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.

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