Cuban migration numbers remain high as U.S. Embassy to offer some visa processing in Havana May | April 08, 2022
Dear Friends,
Yesterday, Cuba reported 619 COVID-19 cases. There are currently 2,845 total active cases of COVID-19 on the island. The total number of cases since March of 2020 is 1,095,625 and the total number of deaths since March of 2020 is 8,517. Approximately 89.5 percent of the population is fully vaccinated (not including the booster). For a graph of case numbers since March 2020, see here. For a detailed breakdown of all COVID-19 data, visit this website.
This week, in Cuba news…
U.S.-CUBA RELATIONS
Cubans Arriving in Record Numbers Along Mexico Border
In March, over 32,000 Cubans were taken into custody at the U.S.-Mexico border, which is almost double the 16,550 Cubans who were taken into custody in February, both of which have been subsequently the highest single-month total on record, The Washington Post reports. According to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) data, CBP is on pace to apprehend 155,000 Cubans in fiscal year (FY) 2022. Since FY 2022 began seven months ago, CBP reports that more than 47,000 Cubans have entered the U.S. through various border points, which surpasses the FY 2021 figure of 39,000 Cuban migrants in total. Cuban migration through the U.S.-Mexico border has also increased, in part, because Nicaragua removed its visa requirements for Cubans last fall. Cubans thus fly to Managua, Nicaragua and make their journey northward to the border. This group makes up a recent exodus by land and sea of Cubans that could, by the end of FY 2022, rival that of the 1980 Mariel boatlift, when approximately 125,000 Cubans arrived in the U.S., and already has surpassed figures of the Balsero Crisis of 1994, where over 35,000 Cubans crossed the Florida straits on makeshift rafts.
At the time of the Mariel boatlift, then President Jimmy Carter established the Cuban-Haitian Entrant Program (CHEP) which gave both Cuban and Haitian migrants paroled into the U.S. access to immigration and resettlement services. At the time of the Balsero Crisis, the Clinton administration responded by establishing the “wet foot, dry foot” policy under which Cuban migrants who reached U.S. soil and were detained by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) were released with Form I-94 (a parole card) which, under the Cuban Adjustment Act, would allow them to apply for permanent residency status (a green card) a year and a day later, and those interdicted at sea were returned to the island. The Administration also responded by guaranteeing a minimum of 20,000 immigrant visas for Cubans per year. President Obama ended the “wet foot, dry foot” policy in January 2017.
While the majority of Cuban migrants have attempted entrance into the U.S. by land, attempts to enter by crossing the Florida Straits by sea also continue. This week, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) reported repatriating 70 Cubans, following eight interdictions. Also this week, USCG reported an incident of “maritime smuggling” after discovering a boat chartered from Cuba that carried nine Russian migrants, four Kazakhstani migrants, and two Kyrgyz migrants. Witnesses say the group was part of a larger number of migrants who traveled from Cuba, but the DHS did not respond to questions about the whereabouts of the rest of the group. So far in fiscal year 2022, 1,257 Cuban migrants have been interdicted at sea. In fiscal year 2021, the Coast Guard interdicted 838 Cuban migrants, compared to 49 Cuban migrants in fiscal year 2020 and 313 interdictions in fiscal year 2019.
In response to the uptick, there have been many calls from the Cuban American community for the U.S. government to address irregular Cuban migration and support Cuban migrants. Associate Professor of History at the University of Miami, Michael Bustamante, stated that the migration surge puts new pressure on the Biden-Harris administration to recast its strategy, having left in place most aspects of the “maximum-pressure” policies from the Trump administration. Santiago Alpizar, an immigration attorney in South Florida who fled Cuba by sea in 1994, has been writing letters to Cuban American politicians, urging them to reinstate the visa lottery program and the Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program (CFRP). Oasis Peña, an activist in Miami, also raised concerns that the recent surge of Cuban migrants to Miami has been putting a strain on agencies, such as the Integrum Medical Group, which connects Cuban migrants with social services.
Embassy of the United States in Cuba Resumes the Processing of Migrant Visas in May (Spanish); Havana Immigrant Visa Processing FAQs
The U.S. Embassy in Havana will officially resume limited visa processing in Havana in May, beginning with the processing of applicants in the IR-5 category, according to a fact sheet from the Embassy released on Wednesday. IR-5 applicants constitute parents of a U.S. citizen and, according to the Embassy, will be prioritized “[in recognition of] the priority of immediate relatives as well as the unique age, health, and mobility challenges for this category of applicants.” As stated in March, when the U.S. Embassy first announced that it would increase staffing and resume some immigrant visa-processing services in Havana after five years, the majority of visas for Cubans will continue to be processed at the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown, Guyana. There is currently no exact date for reinstating the full range of consular services at the U.S. Embassy in Havana. According to the Embassy, processing IR-5 applications is the first step in expanding its services in Havana and it will continue to evaluate further expansion of services “as conditions permit.” The consulate will also continue to provide essential services for U.S. citizens and limited emergency non-immigrant visas. In March, Timothy Zúñiga-Brown, Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Havana, shared that the gradual expansion process is part of broader efforts by the U.S. to “[expand the] Embassy’s functions to facilitate diplomatic and civil society engagement and the provision of consular services.”
The U.S. Embassy in Havana has been operating with a skeletal staff since September 2017, when most U.S. personnel were recalled by the Trump administration and Cuban diplomats were expelled from Cuba’s Embassy in Washington, D.C. due to reports of unexplained health incidents. Since then, the process of acquiring a visa and attending consular interviews has taken place at U.S. embassies abroad, including Colombia and Guyana, which has made entry into the U.S. a logistically complicated and expensive journey for Cubans attempting to legally immigrate or visit relatives in the U.S. In September 2021, the U.S. Department of State announced that it would begin allowing diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Havana to be accompanied by some adult family members while prioritizing the health and safety of personnel. There have been no recent reports of unexplained health incidents in Cuba. In July 2021, following the July 11 demonstrations in Cuba, the Biden-Harris administration announced it would review embassy restaffing and increasing consular services. The Administration announced its plans to gradually restaff the embassy in March. Read CDA’s recommendations on restaffing the U.S. Embassy in Havana here.
US Farmers, in Havana, Say Sanctions Stymieing Food Sales to Cuba
On Wednesday, a delegation of farmers from the U.S. Agricultural Coalition for Cuba (USACC) stated that restrictions from the U.S. embargo on Cuba limit their food sales and ability to compete in the Cuban market, Reuters reports. While participating in a U.S.-Cuba Agriculture Business Conference in Havana, the organization, which includes state and national farm organizations, corporations, and producers, stated that they are unable to compete with other international suppliers, who unlike the U.S., allow Cuba to pay for agricultural products on credit. In 2000, the U.S. began allowing the sale of foods to Cuba on the condition that the island would pay with cash up-front, which severely limits Cuba’s ability to purchase food products from the U.S. Decreased tourism and U.S. restrictions on remittances, among other causes, have led to a decrease in dollars, making it even more difficult for Cubans to pay with cash up-front. The delegation comes in the midst of record high prices for food and concerns over bread shortages in Cuba due to the war in Ukraine, which was one of the world’s main grain producers. By contrast, Cuba doubled its importation of meat from the U.S. in 2021 and February of this year marked this figure’s third highest point in history. Currently, chicken makes up about 95 percent of U.S. exports to Cuba.
As the country faces an economic crisis, which was exacerbated by tightened U.S. restrictions and the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuba has become increasingly dependent on imports and donations, such as for milk and rice, to supplement domestic production. Farmers who participated in the delegation stated that food imports to Cuba from the U.S. would bear low shipping costs, in comparison to shipping costs to export to Europe, due to the two countries’ proximity to one another. Before 1960, Cuba was the ninth largest export market to the U.S. whereas no agricultural products are imported to the U.S. from Cuba currently. According to a report by the National Association of U.S. Department of Agriculture, if U.S. restrictions on trade with Cuba had been lifted in 2015, exports of agricultural products to Cuba would reach about $800 million annually within five years in contrast to the current figure of about $150 million.
U.S. Appeals Court Rules WHO Unit Can Be Sued By Cuban Doctors Claiming Forced Labor
This week, a U.S. federal appeals court ruled that the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) does not have immunity from being sued by Cuban doctors accusing PAHO of violating the Trafficking Victims Protection Act for its role in a program where Cuban doctors were allegedly forced to work in Brazil, Reuters reports. The lawsuit was initiated in South Florida in 2018 by four Cuban doctors who worked for the Mais Medicós (More Doctors) program, initiated in 2012, in which Brazil’s government used PAHO as a financial intermediary to pay Cuba’s government to send doctors to Brazil. According to the ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, PAHO lost immunity protections due to its alleged participation in “commercial activities,” which were done in the U.S., while serving as a financial intermediary for the alleged forced-labor program and can therefore be sued by the Cuban doctors. While PAHO argued that it was granted immunity under the constitution of the World Health Organization (WHO), for which PAHO is a regional entity of, the appellate court ruled that such privileges require a separate agreement between PAHO and the U.S., which was never made. According to a 2019 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, international organizations engaging in commercial activity in the U.S. are not immune from litigation and could stand trial for violation of U.S. law. Therefore, due to the fact that PAHO’s operations are headquartered in Washington, D.C., the international health organization may be tried in U.S. courts. While the appellate court’s decision is not a ruling on if PAHO benefitted from human trafficking, only a ruling that the lawsuit may move forward, it is a notable decision given it is the first instance of a U.S. court upholding a suit against an international organization for being in violation of U.S. law. This week’s ruling upholds a lower district court decision made last week, which also ruled in favor of the Cuban doctors’ legal pursuits.
This lawsuit over the alleged trafficking of Cuban doctors adds to an ongoing debate over whether Cuba’s medical missions abroad constitute trafficking. In July 2021, the U.S. upheld Cuba’s designation on the list of countries that “do not do enough to combat trafficking in persons.” The report called particular attention to the island’s medical mission programs and alleges a “government pattern to profit from labor export programs with strong indications of forced labor.” Cuba has refuted these allegations, claiming that the island’s medical programs exemplify the island’s solidarity with countries in need under ethical labor conditions. Senators Robert Menéndez (NJ) and Marco Rubio (FL) have introduced legislation in which they stated that Cuban medical professionals were victims of state-sponsored human trafficking and asking that they be fully compensated for their work abroad. The bill, which died in the previous Congress, also required the U.S. State Department to record and publish the medical professionals’ working conditions in each country and determine whether the conditions qualified as trafficking in persons based on the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. Similarly, the international non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch released a report in 2020 detailing alleged abuses in the program, such as a restriction on health workers’ freedom of movement and freedom of expression.
U.S. Trademark Agency Beats Bacardí Lawsuit Over Cuba’s ‘Havana Club’
On Wednesday, a U.S. district court ruled that spirits company, Bacardí, which was founded in Cuba, could not sue the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for renewing the “Havana Club” trademark owned by Cuba’s state-run export enterprise, Cubaexport, Reuters reports. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia ruled that Bacardí must instead challenge the trademark through the USPTO itself, as the case is precluded from being tried under federal trademark law. The lawsuit against USPTO, which was filed in December 2021, is part of Bacardí’s ongoing dispute with Cubaexport, which, since 1976, has owned the “Havana Club” trademark that Bacardí also uses on their American rum. Bacardí, which has had a trademark application for “Havana Club” pending since 1994, sought to challenge the USPTO’s 2016 decision to renew Cubaexport’s trademark registration after it previously rejected the Cuban enterprise’s renewal application in 2006. The presiding judge, U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady, denied Bacardí’s argument that the court should hear the case since the USPTO does not have a process for challenging a trademark, saying that a civil suit against the USPTO is not the appropriate means to challenge the trademark registration. However, Bacardí already went through USPTO proceedings and challenged their decision in a federal court case, which is still pending. The rum company is concerned that their application to trademark “Havana Club” will never be approved because of Cubaexport’s revived mark.
Bacardí was founded in Cuba in 1862 and headquartered there until shortly after the Cuban Revolution in 1959, when the Bacardí family was forced into exile and Cuba’s new government appropriated all Bacardí properties. Cuba’s government also seized the Arechabala company and its assets in 1959 and forced the Arechabala family into exile. The Arechabala company is responsible for creating Havana Club rum in Cuba and owned the trademark for “Havana Club” in the U.S. from 1934 until the trademark lapsed in 1973. Cuba’s government, which has been producing “Havana Club” rum since as early as 1959, seized the trademark in 1976. The same year, Cubaexport took over the brand and began to sell it elsewhere around the world, except for the U.S., in partnership with French spirits company Pernod Ricard since 1993. Shortly after the partnership with Pernod Ricard was established, Bacardí applied for the “Havana Club” trademark in 1994, and in 1995, the Arechabala family sold its company, their trademark rights, and their Havana Club recipe to Bacardí. While Bacardí has argued that trademark rights are not valid for property confiscated by Cuba’s government, Pernod Ricard argues the trademark rightfully belongs to them and their Cuban partner given Cuba’s acquisition of the trademark in 1976.
IN CUBA
Travelers to Cuba Will Not Need PCR or Vaccination Certificate; Cuba Lifts COVID Restrictions for Travelers
As of Wednesday, Cuba will no longer require international travelers to present a negative PCR test or provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination, Prensa Latina reports. Cuba’s National Director of Epidemiology, Dr. Francisco Durán, announced on Monday that the island’s high immunization rate and the current favorable international epidemiological situation allows the island to safely relax restrictions on international travel. Thus far, nearly 90 percent of Cuba’s population has been fully vaccinated with one of the island’s three homegrown vaccines. Cuba’s Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) will continue to conduct random PCR tests on international travelers, with particular focus on travelers coming from countries with high incidence rates of COVID-19. There are concerns that such easing of restrictions could bring about a new wave of cases as is being seen in Europe, which is facing an increase in COVID-19 cases due to a subvariant of Omicron known as BA.2. In addition to randomized testing, mask mandates, social distancing, vaccination requirements, and periodic washing of hands and surfaces, MINSAP will also continue to enforce its protocol for individuals who test positive for COVID-19.
The easing of COVID-19 related restrictions aims to boost Cuba’s tourism industry, which is a significant source of income for the island, as Cuba faces an ongoing economic crisis, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, increased U.S. sanctions, and the crisis in Venezuela. Cuba’s government reported that the overall number of visitors to the island in 2021 fell 86 percent from 2020 while the rest of the Caribbean saw a recovery of 63 percent of visitors according to data from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Despite hopes of receiving 2.5 million visitors this year, which, if achieved, is expected to help grow the economy by 4 percent, the island has struggled to attract international travelers. Additionally, the recent drop in Russian tourists, due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent international airspace sanctions against Russian airlines has caused greater concern for Cuba’s tourism industry. Before these events, Russians had been the largest group of tourists in Cuba since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts and Cuban tourism operators say Cuba will struggle to recover economically from the damage incurred over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cuba initially closed its borders in March 2020 and reported minimal cases of COVID-19 until the end of 2020. After reopening borders in November 2020, the island experienced a massive uptick in cases and reclosed its borders to international travel until November 2021. COVID-19 related entry requirements were re-introduced for international travelers in January of this year in response to increased COVID-19 cases amidst the Omicron variant.
Cuban Personnel Abroad Have Finished Discussing New Family Code Bill
A Special Electoral Commission organized by Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX), reported Wednesday that the Cuban personnel working abroad have completed their part of the public referendum on the new draft Families Code, Prensa Latina reports. Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Relations, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, shared on Twitter that MINREX’s Special Electoral Commission completed the consultation process for Cubans working in missions abroad, in which 26,740 voters participated. Cuba’s proposed new Families Code entered a popular referendum process, or public comment period, on February 1 to allow Cubans, both domestically and abroad, the opportunity to provide feedback on the draft code. MINREX created a link on their website to allow Cuban residents abroad to provide feedback on the draft code. The entire referendum process, during which over 13,000 proposals have been made so far, is set to conclude on April 30 before the draft’s approval. Opinions resulting from the thousands of meetings held throughout the referendum process will be subsequently submitted to Cuba’s National Assembly of People's Power for deliberation to enhance the document.
As we previously reported, Cuba’s Ministry of Justice first published a draft of the Families Code in September 2021. It is the only new regulation out of 70 that are being updated in light of Cuba’s new 2019 Constitution that is required to go through the popular referendum process. The draft included language that would open the door to same-sex marriage by removing gender from the definition of marriage and allows for same-sex couples to adopt children, among other updates. While the new code offers much needed updates, LGBTQI+ Cubans and Cuban civil society groups have criticized the code draft undergoing a popular referendum process on the basis that the fundamental rights of LGBTQI+ Cubans should not be determined via referendum and should instead be guaranteed. Read CDA’s interview with Lidia Romero Moreno, LGBTQI+ activist and women’s rights defender in Cuba, regarding the Families Code to learn more.
Cuba Struggles To Buy Fuel As Imports From Venezuela Dwindle - Data
Cuba continues to face fuel shortages due to high prices, unreliable domestic thermoelectric plants, and decreased shipments from Venezuela, Reuters reports. Due to the fuel shortages, Cubans have been facing hours-long lines at gas stations across the island over the past month. While Cuba’s government reported that the shortages are caused by a spike in demand for fuel and the failure of the country’s largest power plant, a decrease in oil shipments from Venezuela, which normally supplies over half of the island’s demand, has led to an estimated 30 percent decrease in Cuba’s overall oil imports. Since 2019, Venezuela has provided Cuba with more than 32,000 barrels per day (bdp) of oil, however as the country struggles to meet domestic fuel needs, it has decreased its oil shipments to Cuba from almost 44,000 barrels per day (bdp) to 22,000 throughout the first quarter of 2022. According to Jorge Piñon, a professor and energy policy expert at the University of Texas at Austin, Cuba’s current fuel supply challenges are not a temporary logistical problem, but rather stem from reliance on Venezuelan oil, limited domestic refining and production capacity, and “[Cuba’s] inability to purchase (with cash) gasoline and diesel in the international oil markets to supplement their Venezuelan oil deliveries, due to high oil prices.”
In recent weeks, Cuba has made efforts to decrease the fuel shortages and stabilize fuel provisions. This week, Cuba’s Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM) announced that Cuba will add another Turkish floating power plant to its national generation system in the coming weeks, according to OnCuba News. Last week, the Cuba-Petroleo Union State Hydrocarbons Company (CUPET) informed that they are working to address shortages, in part by reinforcing tanker truck fleets with up to 30-50 trucks a day, because infrequent deliveries to service stations with small quantities of fuel aggravated the shortage previously.
Venezuela has been Cuba’s second largest trading partner, only behind China, since 2019 and has a long history of providing fuel to Cuba. Due to the poor condition of PDVSA’s oil refineries and impact of U.S. sanctions, Venezuela began decreasing gasoline exports to Cuba in early 2020 until support from Iran to upgrade its oil refineries allowed Venezuela’s oil production to rebound late last year. The country subsequently resumed oil shipments to Cuba. In addition to shipments of oil, Venezuela sent shipments of humanitarian aid, food, and medical equipment to Cuba as the island battled the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cuba Opens Door To Professional Boxing After Decades-Long Hiatus
Cuban boxers will be able to compete professionally for the first time since the 1960s, Reuters reports. The Cuban Federation of Boxing signed a deal with Mexican company Golden Ring Promotions, who will also represent the boxers, that will allow Cuban boxers to participate in several professional leagues beginning in May. Professional boxing had been banned in Cuba since 1962, meaning Cuban boxers could only compete in international tournaments and as amateurs – both of which they have historically dominated. Cuba has a long-standing reputation as a competitor in boxing, having won 41 gold medals in amateur boxing at the Olympic Games since 1972. A trainer for the team highlighted the importance of the increased compensation for the athletes stating, “This is a ray of hope for Cuban boxing. It would be very beneficial for Cubans. . . because the country's economic situation is dire, and it is a way to help [the boxers'] families financially.” According to Cuban officials, boxers will receive 80 percent of their earnings while the remaining 20 percent will go to trainers, doctors, and the Cuban Federation of Boxing.
CUBA’S FOREIGN RELATIONS
Cuba and Mexico Hold an Interparliamentary Meeting Prior to López Obrador's Visit (Spanish); The Parliaments of Mexico and Cuba Denounce the Illegal Trafficking of Migrants (Spanish)
During an interparliamentary meeting between Mexico and Cuba last Friday, representatives from Cuba’s and Mexico’s parliaments reaffirmed mutual desire to “deepen ties” and “strengthen cooperation,” EFE reports. The meeting was convened to discuss future collaboration between the countries in the areas of migration, health, the economy, education, and culture and sports, among others, in preparation for Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s upcoming visit to Cuba in May. The parliaments also highlighted the need for continued collaboration on ensuring safe and regular migratory flows and the need to further address the trafficking and smuggling of migrants, which according to the parliamentary representatives, have “dire consequences” for their nations’ citizens. Esteban Lazo, president of Cuba’s National Assembly of People's Power, stated that “this meeting reflects the will of our peoples, governments, parliaments (...) to take advantage of the opportunities before us to deepen, for mutual benefit, the bilateral relationship.”
Mexico and Cuba have grown closer since President López Obrador took office in 2018. In September 2021, Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel visited Mexico to attend the country’s 200th anniversary of independence and a summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). Mexico has been supportive of Cuba throughout the pandemic, expressing solidarity with the island, calling on the U.S. to act with “political sensitivity” in response to Cuba’s humanitarian and economic crisis, and sending them donations of syringes, oxygen tanks, face masks, powdered milk, cans of tuna, beans, flour, and cooking oil. Mexico’s state-run oil company Petroleos Mexicanos also delivered gasoline to Havana.
Latin American, Caribbean Nations Divided in Vote to Expel Russia from Human Rights Council
On Thursday, Cuba and Nicaragua voted against rescinding Russia’s membership from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), The Miami Herald reports. The vote took place at an emergency meeting of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in response to Russian violence and possible war crimes during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Cuba’s UN representative, Pedro Luis Pedroso Cuesta, accused the U.S. of orchestrating the vote and cautioned that other nations could face similar accusations as Russia for “[not] bowing to the interests of [U.S.] domination, and firmly defending their independence.” Several Latin American countries, including Mexico and Brazil, abstained from the vote, showing mixed reactions to the events of the war in Ukraine. The resolution passed with 93 votes in favor, 24 against, and 58 abstentions, effectively suspending Russia’s membership in the UNHRC. In response to the decision, U.S. Ambassador to the UN from 2017-2018, Nikki Haley, supported the results and called for Cuba’s membership in the UNHRC to be questioned, tweeting, “Today’s UN vote kicking Russia off the UN Human Rights Council is the right thing to do. When you give war criminals a seat at the table, the council loses all credibility. Now do Venezuela, Cuba, and China.”
Mr. Cuesta’s speech, which mainly cited reasons why the U.S. should also be suspended from the Human Rights Council, marks a shift from Cuba’s previous response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In March, Cuba abstained from voting on a UN resolution that condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The island has continued to express support for Russia and defend Russia’s right to self-defense, but has stopped short of specifically mentioning or endorsing Russian advances into Ukraine. In recent weeks however, Cuba’s state news source, Granma, published several articles claiming that photographs and other mention of Russian violence in Ukraine such as the accusations of Russian troops killing civilians in Bucha, Ukraine, are “fabricated lies.” Learn more about the dynamics at play between Cuba, Ukraine, Russia, and the current conflict here and here.
RECOMMENDED READINGS & VIEWINGS
This is How the Penal Code Was Drafted (Spanish), El Toque Jurídico
This article delves into the drafting process and influence behind Cuba’s new Penal Code. Set to be approved this April, the article argues that the new Code will provide the State with new repressive tools to mitigate political dissent on the island.
Cuba's New Private Companies Show Off Products At Trade Fair, Andrea Rodriguez, AP News
This article recounts a recent event at Expocuba center in Havana, where 720 private companies (many of which were legalized about six months ago) were able to showcase their products. The event was created in hopes that entrepreneurs could make connections that facilitated their own businesses. According to the article, the event presented a moment of hope for Cuba’s entrepreneurial youth amidst a mass exodus on the island.
Want to End New Cuban Mass Migration? Clamor for Cuba’s Freedom Like You Do For Ukraine’s, Fabiola Santiago, Miami Herald
This opinion piece argues that Americans should feel similar outrage they have expressed for the humanitarian toll on Ukraine amidst its invasion, towards the humanitarian toll on the large number of Cuban migrants undertaking the dangerous journey across the Florida Straits. The article compares the celebrated bravery of armed Ukrainians to the seeming international invisibility of Cubans advocating for their future as they face human-rights violations, censorship, repression, and lack of judiciary transparency.
Russia War Sanctions Mean A Struggle For Cuban Car Owners, Juan Zamorano and Gisela Salomon, AP News
This article describes how global sanctions on Russia have served to disrupt the supply of auto parts for Cuban vehicles. Many countries around the world closed their airspace to Russian aircrafts and have instituted economic sanctions on the country due to its invasion of Ukraine, causing a shortage of auto imports. As many auto imports were previously supplied by Russian companies, the island’s fleets of trucks, buses, cars, and tractors cannot be repaired.
The “Remittance” Dollar: Another Form of Sending Money to Cuba Through Applications (Spanish), Alberto C. Toppin and Glenda Boza Ibarra, El Toque
This article describes the clandestine use of programs such as Zelle and Cashapp by those in the U.S. to send USD remittances to family, friends, and contacts in Cuba, a method many have turned to following U.S. State Department sanctions on the Cuban financial intermediary institution Financiera Cimex SA (FINCIMEX), previously Cuba’s primary remittance receiving institution. This type of currency exchange through an application is sometimes referred to as a “remittance dollar.” The article also touches on Bizum, a European application that can also be used to send “remittance dollars.”
Taxi Agencies via WhatsApp and Telegram in Cuba, Booming Business? (Spanish), Meilin Puertas Borrero and Walter Freiro, El Toque
This article explains how taxi agencies in Cuba are increasingly turning to mobile messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram to advertise their services. According to the article, a combination of the increase in mobile data access on the island and the pandemic have contributed to the shift away from private mobile applications like Sube and Bajanda and state applications such as D’Taxi to the more accessible messaging platforms. The article includes perspectives from taxi drivers, riders, and examines the legality of such services.
Bécquer Case and Accompaniment of Criminal Proceedings for Gender-Based Violence, Alina Herrera Fuentes, OnCuba
This article comments on an article by the Cuban independent media source El Estornudo on new sexual assault allegations against Cuban musician Fernando Bécquer. The article describes the Fernando Bécquer case as “without precedent in Cuba considering the number of testimonies, the reactions it has unleashed, the participation of the media and the legal-criminal scenario as a center of disputes where the alleged aggressor is being prosecuted.” The article then goes on to list recommendations on how different actors, including the press, institutions (such as courts and prosecutor’s office), should respond to such cases of gender-based violence, and describes the response of Cuba’s government and state institutions and examines how Cuba’s new Penal Code addresses gender-based violence.
What Happened in Cuba with Cockroach Milk? (Spanish), Enrique Torres, El Toque
This article reports on an article published last week by Radio Guamá, the state-owned radio station for Cuba’s Pinar del Río province, in which the station noted the scarcity of cow’s milk, and provided information about the benefits of “cockroach milk,” which was described as a substance that “is not milk and does not contain lactose” but is high in nutritional value. The idea of consuming cockroach milk, which is the milky secretion produced by a species of cockroach, was immediately met with ridicule and memes making fun of the suggestions across Cubans’ social media accounts and eventually caused the government radio station to first try to remove the article and then to publish a statement explaining the article was misrepresented by international media in an attempt to destabilize Cuba.
Stories of Black Women, Racism Beyond the Screen (Spanish), Yarlenis M. Malfrán, El Toque
This article examines the psychosocial impact of racism on Black women in Cuba through TV shows, connecting stories on the screen with racism in Cuban society.
The Problem of Rice Explained (Spanish), Olivia Marín Álvarez, Periodismo del Barrio
This article explains why Cuba has struggled to produce enough rice for its population and provides data demonstrating a 49 percent decrease in rice production between 1985 and 2020. The article details some recent reasons for decreased capacity in the agricultural sector and the country’s Comprehensive Rice Development Program to address production issues.
As Panama Tightens Visa Rules, Cubans Brace for Tough Restrictions, Lillian Perlmutter, Al Jazeera
This article recounts the immigration story of one Cuban family who had to quickly change their plans as the Panamanian embassy announced a new required transit visa to enter Panama. The story portrays the frustration of the hundreds of Cubans who gathered in front of the Panamanian Embassy the day of the announcement and other Cubans currently navigating ever-changing migration policies.
The Festival of Creative Minds (Spanish), Lucy Gmorell, Periodismo del Barrio
This article shares behind-the-scenes photos of a festival for young women entrepreneurs in Cuba called The Creative Minds Festival which was held in Havana between March 4 and 5. The Creative Minds Festival was developed by the 2021 participants of the Creative Mentors Program, which offers “training, support, and mentoring to ambitious and enterprising women who seek to start or reorient their work in the creative industries, whether as freelancers, entrepreneurs or active workers of the sector.” The festival was designed to foster networking, encourage educational interest, and included workshops on the use of menstrual cups, linguistic sexism, yoga, and inclusive language, among others, and an expo for women entrepreneurs to set up booths to advertise and sell their products or services.
The Courts of July 11 (Spanish), Xel2, El Toque
This article displays satirical and/or humoristic cartoons in solidarity with those sentenced after the July 11 demonstrations. Namely, Abel Lescay and Luis Robles were sentenced to six and five years in prison, respectively. Although their cases did not lead to the highest sentences given in July 11 trials, Mr. Lescay’s case has been greatly visible for his relative fame and Mr. Robles’ case has also been greatly visible for merely holding a sign during the demonstrations.
EVENTS
Virtual, The Body Never Forgets: Forced Labor, the New Man, and Memory in Cuba, April 11
Dr. Abel Sierra Madero, visiting Assistant Professor of History at Florida International University (FIU), will discuss his new book, “The Body Never Forgets: Forced Labor, the New Man, and Memory in Cuba” which reconstructs the systemic and structural character of forced labor and state violence in Cuba. Dr. Sierra Madero will speak in conversation with Lillian Guerra, Professor of History at the University of Florida. The virtual book presentation hosted by the Cuban Research Institute at FIU and Books and Books will begin at 7:00PM EST and will be conducted in Spanish. Register for the virtual event here.
Virtual, The Search for Connection: Cuban-American Ties to the Island in Challenging Times, April 22
Ruth Behar, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan, will discuss how Cubans on and off the island have attempted to maintain ties over the past two years, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Professor Behar will explore telling examples of how Cubans have attempted to bridge this gap. This event is part of the series, “Briefings on Cuba,” hosted by CasaCuba, the Cuban Research Institute (CRI), and the Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center (LACC), to provide up-to-date analyses of Cuban politics, economy, culture, and society. The event requires registration and will begin at 1:00PM EST.