To promote a peaceful transition to a Cuba that respects human rights
and political and economic freedoms
White House press secretary announces criteria for review of Trump Cuba Policy. CFC discusses re-designation of Cuba as a state terror sponsor
On January 28, 2021 White House press secretary Jen Psaki responded to a question on Cuba policy at a news briefing stating: “Our Cuba policy is governed by two principles. First, support for democracy and human rights - that will be at the core of our efforts. Second is Americans, especially Cuban Americans, are the best ambassadors for freedom in Cuba. So we’ll review the Trump administration policies.” This is an opportunity to examine what is working and what is not working on the Cuba policy front.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki responds to question on Cuba policy
Former CFC Chairman and current board member Ambassador Everett Ellis Briggs discussed on the January 18th edition of "The Newsmakers" in the segment "Trump's Foreign Policy Farewell" on TRT World, focusing on Cuba's redesignation as a state terror sponsor and raised the important question of "why was Cuba delisted [from the list of state terror sponsors] by the Obama Administration in the first place?"
This decision by the outgoing Administration was not a last minute decision. Mark P. Sullivan of the Congressional Research Service reported that in May 2020 Cuba was not certified as cooperating with U.S. antiterrorism efforts and briefly outlined some of the reasons cited for redesignating Cuba a terror sponsor.
"In May 2020, the Secretary of State (pursuant to Section 40A of the Arms Export Control Act) added Cuba to the annual list of countries certified as not cooperating fully with U.S. antiterrorism efforts, the first time since 2015. On January 11, 2021, the Secretary designated the Cuban government a state sponsor of international terrorism (the previous such designation was rescinded in 2015). He cited Cuba’s harboring of several U.S. fugitives since the 1970s and of 10 leaders of Colombia’s National Liberation Army (a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization)..."
John Suarez, the executive director of the Center for a Free Cuba, cited by Local10 News said the Obama administration had high hopes when there was a shift toward normalizing diplomatic relations with Cuba, but the policy had negative effects. “The Obama administration hoped to see political and economic reforms instituted by the regime,” Suarez said. “Instead, repression and human rights violations increased, as recognized by Obama’s own former Secretary of State John Kerry.”
Hoped for economic reforms, delayed under the Obama Administration, were advanced out of necessity during the Trump Administration. Havana had expected that U.S. taxpayers would join the long list of creditors waiting to get paid back delaying needed changes.
This is not a new story. In 2002 former Center for a Free Cuba Executive Director Frank Calzon, offered an assessment of U.S. economic sanctions, "say what you will about the U.S. embargo, but one of its best-kept secrets is that it has saved U.S. taxpayers millions. Because of the embargo, American banks aren't among the consortium of creditors (among them Spanish, French, Canadian banks) known as ''The Paris Club.'' A consortium that has been waiting for years to be paid what's owed." Taxpayers of creditor countries end up picking up the tab.
Mr. Calzon gave a conservative assessment when he observed that U.S. taxpayers had saved millions in bailouts. In reality, the economic embargo has saved American taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars over the years. Consider that the above mentioned Paris Club in 2015 forgave $8.5 billion of the $11.1 billion debt that the Castro regime owed. And Havana, even before COVID-19, was failing to meet its remaining obligations on its debts.
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