Policy & Advocacy
Backgrounder on Cuba, September 2015
Backgrounder on Cuba, September 2015
President Raúl Castro introduced limited economic reforms expanding property rights, small‑business activity, and access to credit while significant human‑rights and civic‑space restrictions persist. Some political prisoners were released and the Church won narrow institutional concessions, yet core limitations on civil society and religious freedom remain.
Church situation in Cuba
- Restricted freedoms: The government continues to limit the Church’s role in education, mass communications, and the reception of foreign pastoral agents.
- Pastoral and social work: Despite constraints, the Church carries out social assistance to the sick, elderly, and disabled and sustained pastoral ministry.
- High‑level engagement: Papal and episcopal visits (Pope Francis, 2015) and dialogue with Cuban leaders have produced modest openings such as the construction dedication of a seminary and permission for a Havana business school.
U.S. policy developments
- Eased restrictions (2009–2014): The Obama administration lifted many travel and remittance limits, opened purposeful people‑to‑people travel, allowed charter flights, and restored diplomatic relations in December 2014, including removing Cuba from the state‑sponsor‑terrorism list.
- Ongoing congressional role: Full repeal of trade and travel restrictions requires congressional action. Some members of Congress have sought to reimpose prior limits through appropriations amendments, but such efforts had not succeeded as of 2015.
- Policy impacts: The USCCB views expanded travel, trade, and people‑to‑people contact as means to strengthen Cuban civil society and reduce the government’s ability to blame the embargo for domestic problems.
USCCB position and concerns
- Engagement over isolation: The USCCB and Cuban bishops favor dialogue and increased engagement between Cuban and American peoples as the best path to advance human rights, religious freedom, and democratic space.
- Criticism of the embargo: The embargo is judged to have strengthened state control, weakened civil society, and hurt ordinary Cubans; the Church opposes the embargo and supports lifting travel and trade barriers.
- Human‑rights advocacy: USCCB condemns crackdowns on peaceful dissent and capital punishment and stands in solidarity with Cuba’s bishops in defending full religious liberty.
Actions requested
- Urge Congress to lift travel restrictions for all Americans and expand trade and agricultural sales with Cuba.
- Resist legislative attempts to reimpose pre‑2009 travel, remittance, and trade limitations.
- Support a policy trajectory toward ending the embargo while continuing material and pastoral support for the Church in Cuba.