Policy & Advocacy
Backgrounder on Cuba, November 2018
Backgrounder on Cuba, November 2018
- Political context: Reforms begun under former President Raúl Castro expanded property rights, small business operation, and access to credit while serious human rights concerns persist. The new president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, is expected to balance reformist and conservative forces.
- Religious engagement: Religious leaders, especially the Catholic Church, maintain cautious, uneven progress in engaging society and dialoguing with the government.
- Papal visit: Pope Francis’s September 2015 visit signaled pastoral support for the Cuban people.
Church Situation
- Restrictions: The government limits Church freedom in education, mass communications, and hosting pastoral agents from abroad.
- Social ministry: Despite constraints, the Church runs social-assistance projects reaching many sick, elderly, and disabled people and continues pastoral work within imposed limits.
U.S.-Cuba Rapprochement under Obama
- Policy changes: The U.S. reestablished diplomatic relations in 2014, removed Cuba from the state sponsors of terrorism list, expanded authorized travel and charter flights, and President Obama visited Cuba in March 2016.
- Immigration policy: In January 2017 the U.S. ended the “wet foot, dry foot” policy.
Trump Administration Policy Modification
- Shift in direction: The June 2017 National Security Presidential Memorandum narrowed engagement to prevent economic benefits flowing disproportionately to Cuban government or security entities.
- Impact: The memo tightened travel and economic engagement parameters while exempting many U.S. businesses already operating in Cuba; USCCB and Cuban bishops expressed disappointment.
USCCB Position
- Engagement over isolation: USCCB holds that increased contact, trade, and travel will better promote human rights, civil society, and religious freedom than isolation or embargo.
- Solidarity with Cuban Church: USCCB opposes Cuban crackdowns on peaceful dissent and restrictions on ecclesial life, supports Church pastoral and social work, and has provided visits and resources.
- Critique of embargo: USCCB and much of Cuban civil society view the U.S. embargo as strengthening government control and harming vulnerable populations.
Action Requested
- Policy recommendations: USCCB urges Congress to end travel limitations for Americans visiting Cuba, foster greater trade, resist reimposing pre-Obama restrictions, and work toward a complete end to the economic embargo.
- Rationale: Greater people-to-people contact and economic openness are seen as the most effective means to improve Cuban living conditions and encourage democracy and human rights.