Pompeo weighs adding Cuba to U.S. terrorism list | Trump administration adds Cuban bank to U.S. restricted list |Cuba limits flights from the U.S. and other countries | January 8, 2021
Dear Friends,
We’re happy to bring the first news brief of 2021 to your inboxes. Before we do, we must comment about the events in Washington, DC this week. On Wednesday, as the violent mob, incited by the President of the United States, descended upon the Capitol, CDA watched with shock, fear, and sadness. Offices occupied by friends and colleagues were ransacked, hallways that we regularly walk were under siege, and a democracy that we hold dear faced - and continues to face - a serious attack. CDA’s mission is rooted in pressing for change in U.S. policy — urging U.S. policies that respect our neighbors in the Americas, that champion dialogue, and that craft mutually beneficial bilateral agendas. This week reinforced for us the need to start at home. There’s a lot of work to be done, starting from a place of humility. And we’re here for it. We hope you and your loved ones are safe.
In celebration of CDA’s 14th anniversary, we are hosting an online auction. Almost all items come from Cuban and Cuban American creatives and entrepreneurs. The auction includes a Fender American Acoustasonic guitar of the same model Carlos Varela plays and official merchandise from Afro-Cuban funk sensation Cimafunk among many more items. All proceeds will go to support CDA’s work advocating for a U.S.-Cuba policy based on engagement. Anyone may bid on items and the auction will end on February 10 at 5 PM EST.
Yesterday, Cuba reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began with a total of 2,118 active COVID-19 cases. The number of deaths has increased by 11 since December, bringing the total to 148 deaths since March. For a graph of case numbers since March, see here. For a detailed breakdown of all COVID-19 data, visit this website.
This week, in Cuba news...
U.S.-CUBA RELATIONS
Pompeo weighs plan to place Cuba on U.S. Terrorism Sponsor List
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is considering adding Cuba to the U.S. State Department’s State Sponsors of Terrorism List, the New York Times reports. Critics assert the move is politically motivated.
According to anonymous sources, Secretary Pompeo is poised to make a decision about whether or not to add Cuba to the list. In an interview published on Tuesday, David Rubenstein of Bloomberg News asked Secretary Pompeo about the speculation, and Secretary Pompeo responded by stating that it is “completely appropriate” for the U.S. to consider whether Cuba is sponsoring terrorism and to designate it as such if it determines it is appropriate based on Cuba’s behaviors. If added to the State Sponsors of Terrorism List, Cuba would join just three other countries: North Korea, Syria, and Iran. Sudan was removed from the list just last month. The State Department defines those countries as those which “have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism” and countries on that list automatically face a series of U.S. sanctions.
The proposal has been criticized by many who see it as a last-minute move to prevent President-elect Joe Biden from undoing the current Administration’s Cuba policy. While the Biden administration could undo the designation, it could take some time since it would require a formal review process by the State Department. The proposal reportedly stemmed from the State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs instead of its Counterterrorism Bureau as is standard process. Ben Rhodes, who served as Deputy National Security Adviser in the Obama administration and played a key role in normalizing U.S.-Cuba relations, stated this is evidence of a politically motivated process. He also called the possible move “complete nonsense” and stated plainly “Cuba is not a state sponsor of terrorism.” The new Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Congressman Gregory Meeks (NY-05) called the move “a stunt” and stated it is an attempt by the current Administration to “put handcuffs on the incoming administration.” Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez denounced the reports stating that such a move would be one which aims “to please the anti-Cuban minority in Florida.”
If Cuba is added to the State Sponsors of Terrorism List, it could affect academics in Florida, the Miami New Times reports. A Florida statute passed in 2006, which is currently valid, prohibits the use of public funds for travel to countries on the State Sponsors of Terrorism List. Public Florida universities, including Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, would be unable to give grants to graduate students and faculty hoping to travel to Cuba for research. FIU offersover 70 courses on Cuba-related issues, houses the Cuban Research Institute, and, according to its website, has the largest number of students of Cuban origin of any U.S. university. Michael Bustamante, Assistant Professor in FIU’s Department of History, stated that this law would impede certain graduate students from completing their dissertations, forcing them to either seek funding from a different state, use personal funds to travel to Cuba, or to switch their dissertation topics altogether. Also, it is unclear how the move would affect the commercial relations that have initiated since Cuba was removed from the list in 2015. In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a group of U.S. religious organizations urged the Secretary not to add Cuba to the State Sponsors of Terrorism List, writing that the move would worsen the economic situation in Cuba and “harm the Cuban people, including the families, communities, and congregations” with which these organizations partner.
Cuba was first added to the State Sponsors of Terrorism List in 1982 under the Reagan administration. In May 2015, following an extensive interagency review process, the U.S. State Department removed Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism List shortly after President Barack Obama announced the U.S. would normalize relations with Cuba. In May 2020, the U.S. State Department added Cuba to a list of countries certified with “not cooperating fully” with U.S. counterterrorism efforts. The designation was ostensibly made because Cuba refused a request by Colombia to extradite ten leaders of Colombia’s National Liberation Army (also known by the Spanish acronym “ELN”) living in Havana who claimed responsibility for a January 2019 bombing of a Bogotá police academy which injured and killed dozens. However, Cuba asserts it is acting in accordance with its international agreements. When the peace process began in February 2017, Ecuador was the host and Cuba was a guarantor, along with Norway, Venezuela, and Chile. After Ecuador abandoned the peace process in April 2018, Cuba began hosting the talks in Havana. Under the Peace Talk Protocols, signed by both Colombia and the ELN, both parties agreed that in the case of a breakdown in negotiations, ELN negotiators would be allowed to return to safe havens in Colombia. In 2019, when ELN claimed responsibility for the bombing, Colombia’s President Iván Duque Márquez revoked a decree suspending arrest orders against ten ELN leaders and requested their extradition from Havana. Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez responded that Cuba would follow the agreement signed by Colombia and the ELN. Norway supports Cuba’s decision to adhere to the Peace Talk Protocols.
Trump administration adds Cuban bank to US restricted list
Last Friday, the Trump administration announced that it would soon add the Cuban bank Banco Financiero Internacional S.A. (BFI) to the Cuba Restricted List, Al Jazeera reports. In a press statement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo alleged that BFI is a military-controlled entity whose profits “disproportionately benefit the Cuban military rather than independent Cuban entrepreneurs” and used to fund Cuba’s “interference in Venezuela.” Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez spoke out against the move saying it is “intended to reinforce an economic siege.” Anyone under U.S. jurisdiction is prohibited from engaging in financial transactions with any of the entities on the Cuba Restricted List. BFI is the latest of multiple Cuban entities added to the Cuba Restricted List over the last few months.
Most notably, in November FINCIMEX, a remittance forwarding service, and its subsidiary American International Services (AIS), were added to the Cuba Restricted List, due to their ownership by GAESA. GAESA (Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A.) is the economic branch of Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces and controls more than 50 corporations in Cuba’s most profitable sectors, including tourism and remittances. Following this new regulation, Western Union had to shut down operations in Cuba, effectively halting family remittances to the island from the U.S. More information about the Trump administration’s policy changes on Cuba remittances is available in our memo.
Cuba will restrict flights from the U.S., five other countries to limit COVID spread
Cuba began restricting flights from the U.S. and five other countries as of January 1, the Miami Herald reports. Flights from Mexico, Panama, the Bahamas, Haiti and the Dominican Republic are also being restricted. An American Airlines spokeswoman stated that since January 1 the airline has reduced service from six daily flights to seven flights per week, with one flight on Mondays, three on Tuesdays, and three on Wednesdays. Southwest Airlines also modified service from one Tampa-Havana flight daily to one per week. One anonymous travel agency executive predicts prices will increase due to the shortage of flights. El Nuevo Herald reported that thousands of Cuban Americans gathered in Havana’s José Martí International Airport are demanding answers from airlines and facing uncertainty about when they will be able to return to the U.S.
Cuba will also require that all international travelers now submit proof of a negative PCR COVID-19 test taken 72 hours prior to arriving on the island. Up to this point, all international travelers arriving in Cuba have been required to take a PCR test upon arrival at the airport and to quarantine in hotels for two days while awaiting the test results. Cuban citizens, nationals, and Cuban Americans who are visiting or returning to live “in the community” have been required to take a second PCR test five days after arriving and to quarantine while awaiting those test results. Cuban authorities claim that failure to comply with these policies have resulted in the increased number of cases.
In a press release, Cuba’s Ministry of Public Health announced that international travelers and their contacts account for over 71 percent of new cases detected over the last few weeks. The number of COVID-19 cases in Cuba has been increasing since it opened its borders to international travel in November after being closed for over seven months to prevent the spread of COVID-19. On Tuesday, Cuba’s government announced that two provinces near Havana, Mayabeque and Artemisa, will return to phase one of Cuba’s reopening plan due to an increase in COVID-19 cases. Authorities also stated they are closely monitoring the eastern provinces of Las Tunas and Guantánamo.
Cuban migrants protest at Mexico border, seeking entry to U.S.; A group of Cuban migrants landed in Key West on New Year’s Day
Last week hundreds of Cuban migrants protested at the U.S.-Mexico border, demanding to cross into the U.S. to claim asylum, Reuters reports. The protest took place in Ciudad Juárez, a city in northern Mexico where Cubans and migrants from other countries stay while awaiting their hearing with U.S. immigration officials as required by the Migration Protection Protocols (also known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy). On the night of December 29, U.S. authorities used a concrete barrier to close off the Paso del Norte border crossing bridge which connects Ciudad Juárez to El Paso, Texas. Late that night about 200 Cuban migrants stood on the Mexican side of the bridge in protest. Last month, the Miami Herald reported that thousands of Cubans were planning to join other migrants in caravans to the U.S.-Mexico border hoping to claim asylum.
Also last week, a group of twelve Cuban migrants landed in Key West, Florida in a homemade boat, the Miami Herald reports. The twelve men were taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, processed for removal proceedings, and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement Removal Operations. As we previously reported, Cuban migrants were interdicted at sea on a few occasions throughout 2020. Until January 2017, Cuban migrants who made it to U.S. soil (“dry feet”) were paroled in and able to access a path toward citizenship while those apprehended in the ocean (“wet feet”) were returned to Cuba under the “wet foot, dry foot.” Since then, the number of Cuban migrants interdicted at sea has decreased considerably and almost immediately. For a detailed overview of changes in U.S. policy toward Cuban migrants since 1959 to the present, see this publication by the Wilson Center.
Miami immigration court ruling could mean green cards for large number of Cubans
Miami Immigration Court Judge Timothy Cole ruled that any immigrant released from detention by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) without a deportation order will be considered to have been “paroled” into the United States, the Miami Herald reports. Under the Cuban Adjustment Act, Cuban migrants who are released on parole may apply for permanent residency status after one year and one day. The ruling could have dramatic implications for Cuban immigrants. The ruling is not binding, so it may only be enforced in a few cases directly affected by the decision. However, since Judge Cole certified the case to the Board of Immigration Appeals, the highest body for interpreting and applying immigration laws, it may be applied nationally if approved.
Before January 2017, under the “wet foot, dry foot” policy, Cuban migrants who reached U.S. soil and were detained by DHS officers were released with Form I-94 (a parole card) which would allow them to apply for permanent residency status a year and a day later. Since the “wet foot, dry foot” policy ended in January 2017, Cuban migrants who entered the U.S. have not been given a parole card after being released. Judge Cole wrote in his decision that not receiving a physical parole card should not prevent migrants from obtaining permanent residency status, since the law does not require that migrants have a parole card. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the number of Cuban migrants granted permanent residency decreased from 75,159 in 2018 to 39,580 in 2019.
As we reported in October, Cuban asylum seekers are being held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities for over the 180 day lawful limit as established by the Supreme Court Zadvydas v. Davis ruling in 2001. Many are unable to appeal to the courts to be released because they are being held in places where access to a lawyer is difficult, such as rural Louisiana and Georgia.
IN CUBA
Tourists trickle back to Havana despite tough COVID-19 protocols
Tourists are slowly returning to Havana after the capital reopened its airport to international flights in November, Reuters reports. Dr. Francisco Durán, National Director of Epidemiology at Cuba’s Ministry of Public Health, stated that 1,000 international travelers are entering the island daily, most heading to beach resorts but some to Havana as well. Cuban entrepreneurs have noticed that Canadian, European, and Latin American tourists have started to appear in Havana. Controlling the spread of COVID-19 in Cuba’s keys and beach resorts has proved easier since travelers are allowed to wander the beach and resort while awaiting their results for the COVID-19 test which is taken at the airport upon arrival. For tourists staying in hotels or private homes in cities, this quarantine requirement is a bigger ask since they are unable to leave their rooms.
Like many Caribbean islands, Cuba depends heavily on tourism. As a UNESCO World Heritage city, Havana attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. Havana visitors generally generate more revenue than beach tourists because in addition to staying in the city, they also purchase tours to visit other parts of the island. The capital was closed for eight months and officially reopened its borders to international tourism in November. In 2019, tourism generated $2.6 billion, about 10 percent of Cuba’s gross domestic product. Given that Cuba’s economy declined by 11 percent in 2020, many have high hopes that the tourism industry will help the island start its economic recovery. In 2020, just one million touristsvisited Cuba, compared with four million in 2019.
CUBA’S FOREIGN RELATIONS
Cuba and Iran will jointly produce a coronavirus vaccine
Cuba is partnering with Iran to produce a COVID-19 vaccine, the Miami Herald reports. The vaccine is currently in its second phase of human trials under the supervision Pasteur Institute of Iran in Cuba, and if successful, the third phase of human trials will begin in Iran. The agreement also stipulates that Iran receive the technology needed to produce the vaccine domestically. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif visited Havana in November and met with officials from Cuba’s Ministry of Public Health, BioCubaFarma, a biotechnology company that exports pharmaceuticals, and from the Cuban Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology. Minister Zarif tweeted that he was “impressed” with Cuba’s progress combatting COVID-19.
It is not clear which of Cuba’s COVID-19 vaccines will be tested and produced in Iran. Cuba has multiple vaccines currently in human trials, including Soberana 01, Soberana 02, Mambisa, and Abdala. Phase two clinical trials for the Soberana 01 vaccine are being led by Cuba’s Finlay Vaccine Institute and are scheduled to be completed by the end of January. The Soberana 02 vaccine began phase two of clinical trials at the end of December in Havana.
Both Cuba and Iran face strict U.S. sanctions which negatively impact their economies and have hampered the donations and sale of humanitarian and medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although there are humanitarian allowances within the sanction regimes, in practice there are various limitations and obstacles which limit the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
RECOMMENDED READINGS AND VIEWINGS
Opinion: Cuban Americans Need a New Story, Guillermo Grenier, Miami New Times
In this opinion piece, Guillermo Grenier, Chair and Professor of the Department of Global and Sociocultural Studies at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami and co-director of FIU’s bi-annual Cuba Poll, argues that Cuban Americans can and should let go of old narratives about the community and create a new narrative which reflects the current moment and needs of the community in order to reshape the relationship between Cuban Americans and Cubans on the island. Dr. Grenier argues that Cuban Americans are no longer exiles, and are instead a transnational community, so U.S. policies should reflect that. He argues that the Cuban family is the change agent in our new story and that it should be centered in it because it is the bridge between Cuba and the diaspora, and between the past and the future.
Florida elections and the Biden administration’s Latin America agenda, Benjamin Talus, Global Americans
In this essay, Benjamin Talus argues that President-elect Joe Biden should adopt an evidence-based Cuba policy approach which engages all stakeholders, not only “the loudest, most hardline voices.” Mr. Talus also argues that an engagement Cuba policy could benefit not only Democrats in Florida, but also in southern states like Georgia and North Carolina which benefit from the trade of agricultural and medical goods with Cuba. He ends his essay by writing that President-elect Biden should separate Cuba and Venezuela policy, and expand the Latin American policy agenda to include other issues like COVID-19 relief and climate change in order to strengthen relationships between the U.S. and the region.
Tampa-Cuba ties forged under Obama frayed under Trump. Now, it’s Biden’s turn., Paul Guzzo, Tampa Bay Times
In this article, Paul Guzzo discusses the ties Tampa, Florida and Cuba have historically had and presents the varied points of view of many Tampa residents about what President-elect Joe Biden’s Cuba policy should look like. Mr. Guzzo includes quotes from Congresswoman Kathy Castor (FL-14) whose district includes the Tampa Bay area; Dan Whittle who directs the Environmental Defense Fund’s marine and coastal conservation projects in Cuba; and Albert A. Fox Jr., President of the Tampa-based Alliance for Responsible Cuba Policy Foundation.
Will Cuba policy matter for the Biden administration?, Andy Gomez and Paul Hare, Orlando Sentinel
In this opinion piece, Andy Gomez and Paul Hare discuss how a Biden-Harris administration may approach Cuba policy and how Cuba’s government should signal they are seriously interested in engaging with the U.S. if they wish for U.S.-Cuba policy to be a priority for the U.S. Dr. Gomez and Mr. Hare argue that diplomacy is not about approving all of another country’s actions but instead about using opportunities to advance national interests through engagement. They end their opinion piece by pointing out that the U.S. may also be in a unique position to influence the next generation of Cuban leaders as the older generation leaves its positions in government.
Will Biden restore ties with Cuba? Debate swirls over next steps as Florida loss muddies plans, Nora Gámez Torres and Jacqueline Charles, The Miami Herald
In this article, Nora Gámez Torres and Jacqueline Charles discuss the unique circumstances President-elect Joe Biden will face if he decides to pursue a U.S.-Cuba engagement policy. The article includes interviews with various stakeholders who have differing opinions about what the Biden-Harris administration’s U.S.-Cuba policy should look like and how the U.S. should approach initial conversations, including the new Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Congressman Gregory Meeks (NY-05).
Analysis-Cuba's looming monetary reform sparks confusion, inflation fears, Sarah Marsh and Nelson Acosta, Reuters
In this article, Sarah Marsh and Nelson Acosta provide an overview of the currency reform being implemented in Cuba and its potential effects. Ms. Marsh and Mr. Acosta summarize the context in which this reform is being carried out, Cuba’s worst economic crisis in decades, and discuss what the impacts may be for ordinary Cubans and private business owners.
Seven Events that Marked Cuba’s Economy in 2020, Amaury Valdivia, El Toque [Spanish]
In this article, Amaury Valdivia lists what he believes to be the seven most impactful milestones of Cuba’s economy in 2020, an extremely difficult year economically for the island. Mr. Valdivia identifies the expansion of dollar stores throughout the island, major expenses to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, and announcement of the currency unification process as important events for Cuba’s economy.
2020: On the Brink of Monetary Reforms, Ricardo Torres, Progreso Semanal
In this essay, Cuban economist Ricardo Torres reflects on the various factors which resulted in the economic crisis of 2020 where Cuba’s Gross Domestic Product decreased by 11 percent, the highest amount since 1991. While recognizing that the expansion of the private and cooperative sectors cannot solve all of Cuba’s economic problems, Dr. Torres identifies two areas where they may help as Cuba reforms its economic model.
Cuba Is Running Out of Food, Fernando Donate, Institute for War & Peace Reporting
In this article, Fernando Donate presents an overview of the current widespread shortage of food products across Cuba. Mr. Donate provides various statistics about Cuba’s current economic situation, includes interviews with ordinary Cuban citizens and an economist, and presents a broader context in which to understand the current economic crisis, which was already brewing before the COVID-19 pandemic began last March. This article is also available in Spanish.
EVENTS
Virtual, CDA’s 14th Anniversary Silent Auction, January 7- February 10
In celebration of CDA’s 14th anniversary, we are hosting an online auction. Our items include a Fender American Acoustasonic guitar of the same model Carlos Varela plays, official merchandise from Afro-Cuban funk sensation Cimafunk, clothing from Cuba’s first independent fashion brand Clandestina, and many more items. All items, with the exception of the Fender guitar, come from Cuban or Cuban American creatives and entrepreneurs. All proceeds will go to support CDA’s work advocating for a U.S.-Cuba policy based on engagement. Anyone may bid on items and the auction will end on February 10 at 5 PM EST.
Support CDA: Click here to support CDA’s work bringing you the U.S.-Cuba News Brief each week and promoting a U.S. policy toward Cuba based on engagement and recognition of Cuba’s sovereignty. Make your 100% tax-deductible gift now!