U.S. advisor on international disability rights visits Havana

Sara Minkara, the U.S. Department of State Special Advisor on International Disability Rights, visited Havana and met with the Ministries of Labor and Social Security, Health, Education, Interior and Foreign Affairs. Minkara also met with civil society organizations, entrepreneurs and students. Per the Cuban Foreign Ministry, the organizations Minkara met with emphasized “the country’s efforts to guarantee comprehensive protection and full development to people with disabilities, despite the impediments caused by the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the government of the United States.”

https://cu.usembassy.gov/special-advisor-on-international-disability-rights-sara-minkara-visits-havana/

https://cubaminrex.cu/es/visita-cuba-la-asesora-especial-de-los-estados-unidos-para-los-derechos-internacionales-de-las 

 U.S. – Cuba Law Enforcement Dialogue

A State Department press release highlighted a recent meeting in Washington between U.S. and Cuban officials. “The U.S. – Cuba Law Enforcement Dialogue enhances the national security of the United States through improved law enforcement coordination, which enables the United States to better protect U.S. citizens and bring criminals to justice. Establishing and increasing channels for law enforcement cooperation to address transnational threats also enhances U.S. advocacy for human rights.” The Cuban Foreign Ministry issued the following about the meeting: “This dialogue is an expression of the Cuban government’s commitment to the fight against terrorism and its determination to take all necessary steps to combat its perpetrators. It does not contradict the most absolute rejection of the unjustified and arbitrary inclusion of Cuba in the [SSOT] list.”

https://www.state.gov/u-s-cuba-law-enforcement-dialogue/ 

https://cubaminrex.cu/es/sostienen-autoridades-de-cuba-y-los-estados-unidos-dialogo-sobre-aplicacion-y-cumplimiento-de-la 

U.S. exports to Cuba are up, driven by private businesses on the island and Miami firms

The Miami Herald reports that U.S. agricultural and food exports to Cuba jumped 12.4 percent, to $342.6 million in 2023. John Kavulich, president of the U.S. Cuba Trade and Economic Council, said this “is remarkable not only by the U.S. dollar value, but the substantial increase in the number of companies, primarily located in South Florida, who are exporting products from the United States to Cuba specifically in support of the re-emerging private sector in Cuba. This data legitimizes these are real businesses, that there is commercial activity, and it is expanding.” 

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article285421452.html

Cuba Is No Sponsor of International Terrorism

In an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, Senator Pete Welch and Representative Jim McGovern rebutted an earlier op-ed by Mary Anastasia O’Grady that argued for keeping Cuba on the list while presenting no evidence. The lawmakers write: “It’s fine to criticize Cuba, but let’s be honest about who the real terrorists are. A policy of constructive engagement with Cuba might lead to more democracy. Wrongly labeling it as a sponsor of international terrorism only furthers a broken status quo.”

https://www.wsj.com/articles/cuba-is-no-sponsor-of-international-terrorism-venezuela-north-korea-d716fdd2

A conservative case for normalization with Cuba

Writing in The Hill, VCU professor Benjamin R. Young argues that the inclusion of Cuba on the SSOT list “prompts a critical inquiry into its justification and is emblematic of outdated foreign policy thinking among the D.C. establishment.” He notes that policy towards Cuba reflects a red scare mentality, and that conservatives should appreciate Cuba’s emphasis on social cohesion and public safety. “Most Americans realize that Cuba is not a state sponsor of terrorism or a genuine threat to U.S. national security…. [and] want the U.S. government to end the Cuban embargo and establish diplomatic normalization with Havana,” Young writes.

https://thehill.com/opinion/4444511-a-conservative-case-for-normalization-with-cuba/

United States: Unilateral designation of states as Sponsors of Terrorism negatively impact human rights, warn UN experts

Five United Nations special rapporteurs and independent experts issued a statement warning of the human rights impacts of the SSOT designation. “Fundamental human rights, including the right to food, right to health, right to education, economic and social rights, right to life and right to development, are negatively affected by the additional restrictions and prohibitions triggered by [SSOT] designations,” the experts said. The SSOT designation “may negatively affect the delivery of essential goods, including food, medicine, medical equipment and other supplies, including humanitarian goods under UN Security Council humanitarian resolutions…. We urge the United States to comply fully with its international obligations, also extraterritorially,” the experts noted.

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/02/united-states-unilateral-designation-states-sponsors-terrorism-negatively 

For Langston Hughes on his 123 birthday

Andy Shallal writes of a recent cultural delegation to Cuba for the inauguration of a bust of Langston Hughes; the acclaimed poet had a lifelong friendship with Nicolás Guillen, considered Cuba’s national poet. Joining Andy were U.S. artists and intellectuals, including author and human rights activist Alice Walker, who was honored with the Haydee Santamaria Medal at the Casa de las Americas. “

https://www.busboysandpoets.com/for-langston-hughes-on-his-123-birthday/