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1 1 (November 17, 2022)

handle is hein.crs/govejlb0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Serv Informing the Iegislative debate since 1914 Cuba: U.S. Policy Overview Cuban Political and Economic Devdopments 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 has been hard-hit by the economic shutdown associated with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic; Venezuela's economic crisis, which has reduced support from that country; and U.S. sanctions. Cuba reports the economy contracted by 10.9% in 2020 and grew by 1.3% in 2021; in November 2022, the government cut its 2022 growth forecast from 4% to 2%. Cuba's growth forecast has been affected by a slower recovery of the tourism sector, the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on the global economy (including food and fuel prices), an August 2022 fire that severely damaged Cuba's main oil storage facility, and Hurricane Ian, which caused severe damage to western Cuba in late September 2022 and a power outage across the country. Cuba unified its dual currency system in 2021; the long- debated reform spurred inflation (with some estimates ranging from between 150% and 500% in 2021); the Economist Intelligence Unit is forecasting almost 66% inflation in 2022 and 44% in 2023. Cuba's public health response to the pandemic initially kept cases and deaths low, but both surged in the summer of 2021. The country experienced another surge in cases in early 2022, but deaths remained low because of high vaccination rates. As of November 2022, Cuba reported over 8,500 deaths since the pandemic began (with one of the lowest mortality rates in the hemisphere) and had fully vaccinated 88% of its population with its own 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. On July 11, 2021, anti-government demonstrations broke out in Havana and throughout the country, with thousands of Cubans protesting economic conditions (food and medicine shortages, blackouts) and long-standing concerns about the lack of political freedoms. Updated November 17, 2022 The government responded with harsh measures, including widespread detentions of protesters, civil society activists, and bystanders. Hundreds of the July 2021 protestors have been tried and convicted, including more than 25 minors. The human rights group Cuban Prisoners Defenders (CPD) reported that there were 1,027 political prisoners at the end of October 2022 (up from 152 on July 1, 2021), of which 743 were imprisoned and considered prisoners of conscience by CPD, 255 were under some form of conditional release, and 29 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. 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 eased restrictions on travel, remittances, trade, telecommunications, and banking and financial services (2015-2016). In contrast, the Trump Administration introduced new sanctions in 2017, 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. In its initial months, the Biden Administration announced it was conducting a review of policy toward Cuba, with human rights a core pillar, and would review policy decisions made by the prior Administration. In the aftermath of the Cuban government's harsh response to the July 11, 2021 protests, the Biden Administration criticized Cuba's repression and imposed targeted sanctions on those involved. In July and August 2021, the Treasury Department imposed four rounds of financial sanctions on three Cuban security entities and eight officials. Between November 2021 and July 2022, the State Department announced four rounds of visa restrictions against 50 individuals involved in repressing protesters. In May 2022, the Administration announced several Cuba policy changes aimed at increasing support for the Cuban people. The Administration increased immigrant visa processing at the U.S. Embassy in Havana and said it would reinstate the Cuban Family Reunification Parole (CFRP) program. It eased travel restrictions by reauthorizing scheduled and charter flights to cities beyond Havana and reinstating group people-to-people travel. It eased restrictions on sending cash remittances by eliminating the dollar and frequency limits for family remittances and reauthorizing donative remittances to Cuban nationals.

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