Rep. McGovern + Sen. Welch call for improved relations with Cuba | August 1, 2023

Aug 1

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This week’s Top Stories

Rep. McGovern and Sen. Welch call for improved relations with Cuba
Cubans in Mexico will be able to request refugee status in the US

Continued Coverage

Germany will require Cubans to have a transit visa to pass through its airports
Cuba criticizes its presence on SSOT

The views and opinions expressed by authors are their own and articles do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of CDA.

This week, in Cuba news…

U.S.-CUBA RELATIONS

Jim McGovern Demands Cuba Release Protestors Arrested During Demonstrations Two Years Ago; Welch Outlines Opportunities to Improve U.S.-Cuba Relations

Marking the two year anniversary of the July 11 (J11) protests in Cuba, U.S. Representative Jim McGovern (MA-02) spoke on the House floor on Thursday to call on Cuba’s government to release all peaceful protesters and to urge the US to end policies that hurt everyday Cubans, Forbes reports. In his speech, Rep. McGovern reflected on the J11 protests, noting that Cubans rightfully demonstrated across the country to call for increased freedoms and improved living conditions amidst a crippling economic crisis. Rep. McGovern condemned the response of Cuba’s government to J11, stating “There is no excuse for these largely peaceful protests to have been met with government repression, arrests, and internet blackouts.” The Massachusetts representative also highlighted the role that U.S. policies play in contributing directly to the hardships facing the Cuban people, calling for the US to end such policies, including by removing Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSOT) List.

Echoing the sentiments of Rep. McGovern and his predecessor, former Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy, Sen. Peter Welch (VT) called on the US to pursue improved relations with Cuba and criticized current U.S. policies, stating that they are “a continuation of the failed policies of the previous administration,” according to a statement for the Congressional Record published on Thursday. Sen. Welch condemned current U.S. policies, calling them “anything but benign,” and noting that they are “contributing, directly and indirectly, to widespread hardships and hunger in Cuba that caused some 313,000 Cubans to abandon the island last year alone, seeking entry to the United States.” In the statement, Sen. Welch urges the US to “reset” U.S.-Cuba relations by removing Cuba from the SSOT, increasing support for Cuba’s private sector and the Cuban people, and continuing the pursuit of improved diplomatic relations, including by appointing a U.S. ambassador to Havana. Sen. Welch argues that pursuing a policy of engagement with Cuba as done by Sen. Leahy and President Obama is the “only policy worthy of the United States.”

Cuba was re-added to the State Sponsors of Terrorism List in January 2021 by the Trump administration and its status on the list has been maintained by the Biden administration. Cuba’s inclusion on the SSOT severely limits foreign investment, creates additional obstacles to delivering humanitarian aid, and also impacts students and academics in Florida due to a 2006 Florida statute which prohibits the use of public funds for travel to countries on the SSOT. Cuba may be removed from the SSOT via a formal review process. To learn more about the SSOT and its implications for the Cuban people, read CDA’s FAQ on the SSOT here.

Cubans stranded in Mexico will be able to request refuge in the US (Spanish); US to accept certain non-Mexican migrants in Mexico as refugees; Fact Sheet: Data From First Six Months of Parole Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans

On Friday, the Biden administration announced that migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who are currently in Mexico will be allowed to apply for refugee status in the US, El Toque reports. Specifically, the US will accept refugee resettlement referrals for Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan citizens currently in Mexico. The program comes as a result of meetings held last week between Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and a U.S. delegation concerning regional migration management. The Administration’s announcement also includes U.S. endorsement of Mexico’s plan to create “an international multipurpose space” on Mexico’s southern border that offers employment assistance, international protection, and resettlement options for people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela already present in Mexican territory. Specific details about the program’s operation, application requirements, and dates, as well as details surrounding the “international multipurpose space” have not been provided.

Mexico’s center is intended to serve, among others, the tens of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers who became stranded in Mexico due to the recent changes in U.S. immigration policies and the asylum restrictions which began in May. Thousands of migrants were already en route to the US’s southern border when the changes were announced, leaving them in limbo or at risk of becoming ineligible for asylum. According to data from Mexico’s Commission for Aid to Refugees (COMAR), during the first six months of 2023, over 5,000 Cubans, nearly 30,000 Haitians, and over 3,500 Venezuelans requested international protection.

The new legal pathway option is separate from and in addition to President Biden’s border enforcement measures announced in January, which includes the expansion of family reunification programs, a humanitarian parole program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (P4CHNV), and requesting asylum through the CBP-One application. The introduction of legal pathways has been accompanied by stricter consequences for those attempting to cross the border irregularly such as ineligibility for the parole program itself and new restrictions on applying for asylum. According to a recent update from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), over 38,000 Cubans, 63,000 Haitians, 29,500 Nicaraguans, and 58,000 Venezuelans have been approved for humanitarian parole pathways so far in 2023. The parole program allows for up to 30,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans per month to enter the country by air through the P4CHNV program if they fulfill the eligibility criteria, including that they are located outside of the US, apply electronically, and have a U.S.-based sponsor that can financially support them for the duration of their parole. Parolees are allowed to live and work in the US for two years. As of the end of May, there were over 380,000 pending cases for Cubans according to CBS News.

Learn more about the parole process, including how those with lawful presence in the US can participate in the P4CHNV program and sponsor eligible individuals and families from these countries by watching CDA’s recent webinar with Welcome.US, the Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC), and other partners. Check out the recording of the webinar in English and Spanish.

President Díaz-Canel describes Cuba's inclusion on the list of countries that sponsor terrorism as "perverse" (Spanish)

Last week, Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned Cuba’s presence on the U.S. State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSOT) List, calling it a “perverse and detrimental” action taken by the United States to exacerbate the nation’s ongoing economic crisis, Reuters reports. While celebrating the 70th anniversary of the attack on the Moncada Barracks, President Díaz-Canel denounced the US’s “imperial aggressions” to a crowd of approximately 10,000 residents in Santiago de Cuba, calling Cuba’s presence on the SSOT an “opportunistic” attempt to inflict severe damage on Cuba’s economy. Accompanied by former President Raúl Castro, President Díaz-Canel highlighted the impact that Cuba’s placement on the list has on the island’s ability to engage in commercial and financial transactions worldwide as well as the impact of measures initiated during the Trump administration, and maintained by the Biden administration, on Cuba’s economic stability. Cuba was re-added to the SSOT by the Trump administration in January of 2021 and has been recertified by the Biden administration the past three years. For more information on the SSOT and its impact on Cuba, read CDA’s SSOT FAQ.

Updates on Cuban Migration to the US

Source: Elaborated by CDA with data from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)

Since the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 began on October 1, USCG has interdicted 6,897 Cuban migrants–surpassing the total number of Cuban migrants in all of FY 2022. This time last year, seaborne migration reached approximately 3,683 Cuban migrants. Seaborne migration saw a steady increase in FY 2022, totaling more than the past five years combined; in FY 2022, 6,182 Cuban migrants were interdicted by the USCG, while the total number of interdictions between FY 2017 and FY 2021 was 2,927.

Source: Elaborated by CDA with data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

In the month of June, 10,885 Cuban migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees attempted entrance into the US, bringing the total number so far in FY2023 to 164,475 Cuban migrants. In comparison, total Cuban migration to the US reached approximately 157,000 migrants this time last Fiscal Year. According to data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in FY 2022, there were 224,607 total encounters with Cuban migrants and asylum seekers–a 471 percent increase from the previous year. “Encounters” constitute either an expulsion, in which migrants are deported to their home country or last country of transit, or apprehension, in which migrants are detained in the US, by CBP.

IN CUBA

In Cuba, a piece of Gouda cheese costs a state worker's monthly salary, a legislator says

During a session of the National Assembly last week, a member of Cuba’s National Assembly spoke in defense of Cuba’s private sector, and urged lawmakers to provide greater support for Cuba’s private sector, advocating for loans, tax benefits, fewer government controls, and economic mechanisms to support private businesses, The Miami Herald reports. Carlos Miguel Pérez, a member of Cuba’s National Assembly and a small business owner, gave a 15 minute speech in front of the island’s legislature in which he criticized state salaries for being unable to satisfy the needs of the people, stating that a state worker’s monthly salary is equivalent to the price of a piece of Gouda cheese, around $4,000 Cuban pesos ($20 USD). Mr. Pérez, who is the only small business owner in the National Assembly, argued that the island’s centrally planned economy is unable to compete with the growing private sector, making it a key proponent of being able to satisfy the needs of the people. During a briefing to the National Assembly on the state of the economy, officials recognized the crucial role of private businesses as major importers of food and essential goods, noting that the private sector was responsible for sustaining bread production in the country. Despite acknowledging the important role of private businesses, other lawmakers proposed imposing measures to control the prices of goods imported by these businesses and to limit their overall number. Mr. Pérez responded to criticisms of the private sector, stating that “[w]e cannot stigmatize [private enterprises].”

MSMEs were legalized in September 2021, providing private businesses with their own legal personality and more robust formal business structures. In less than two years, there are already more private companies than state-owned companies, nearly 110,000 Cubans–or approximately 35 percent of the active workforce–are employed by the island’s private sector, and over 8,500 MSMEs have been authorized, half of which correspond to new businesses.

What does the data from the National Survey of Occupation of Cuba say?

According to Cuba’s 2022 National Occupational Survey, recently published by the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI), Cuba’s Economically Active Population (EAP) is diminishing due to the island’s aging population, Periodismo del Barrio reports. The survey indicates that Cuba’s EAP stands at 50.89 percent, with just over half of Cubans aged 15 and above working or looking for employment. Of those working, the majority are over 40 years of age. As Cuba faces a rapidly aging population, mass emigration, and unemployment, the island’s EAP has declined by over 4 percent since 2020. Periodismo del Barrio notes that Cuba will experience a noticeable decline in the number of people of working age in a relatively short period due to aging and emigration. The survey also revealed a greater decline in the number of employed men compared to women, with reductions of 4.95 percent and 3.16 percent, respectively. Despite this, men still constitute 61.7 percent of Cuba’s EAP. On the other hand, Cuba’s Economically Inactive Population (EIP) presents a contrasting picture, with 63.7 percent of those who are of working age, but do not participate in the labor market being women. The majority of Cuba’s EIP is composed of those dedicated to housework or homemaking (30.7 percent), followed by retirees and pensioners (28.6 percent) and students (16.1 percent). Additionally, the number of Cubans who are willing to work, but have stopped actively searching for a job because they believe they will not find it has nearly doubled since 2020, increasing from 46,494 people in 2020 to 83,938 in 2022.

Regarding employment figures, the survey highlighted a 28 percent increase in unemployment compared to 2020, with the highest incidence of unemployment found among those aged 15 to 34 years of age. Young Cubans represented 53.5 percent of the total unemployed in 2022. Cubans with a higher education level were also more likely to be unemployed, regardless of age.

The Occupational Survey also reported a 1.1 percent decrease in employment in the state sector and a 13 percent decrease in employment in the island’s non-state sector. Overall, urban areas showed more significant declines in employment compared to rural areas.

CUBA’S FOREIGN RELATIONS

Germany will require Cubans to have a transit visa to pass through its airports (Spanish)

Germany has announced a transit visa requirement for Cubans amidst a sharp increase in the number of Cubans seeking asylum in Germany, OnCuba News reports. Effective Saturday, July 29, 2023, Cuban citizens will be required to obtain an airport transit visa at an additional cost of $80 euros to transit through Germany while en route to third countries outside the Schengen zone. According to an announcement published by the German Embassy in Havana on Saturday, Cubans with valid Schengen visas, residency permits or long-term visas from Schengen zone member countries, and family members with EU citizenship will not be required to obtain transit visas. Cubans with valid visas for Japan, Canada, and the United States or residency permits from Andorra, Canada, Japan, Monaco, San Marino or the United States will also be exempt from the requirement. Cuban citizens, including those who obtain transit visas, are ineligible to leave the airport area and must hold a Schengen visa in order to enter Germany or other countries in the Schengen zone. To obtain a transit visa, Cubans must reserve an appointment through the German Embassy in Havana’s appointment system as early as six months prior to the travel date.

The decision comes a week after it was reported that Germany is seeing a significant rise in Cuban citizens seeking asylum upon arrival in Germany in 2023. Asylum requests from Cuban citizens have multiplied eightfold compared to the same period in the previous year – rising from 73 to 607 – with many Cubans using indirect routes through stopovers to avoid visa requirements in order to enter the EU. According to German authorities, many Cubans have been requesting asylum in Germany after purchasing plane tickets to destinations without visa requirements for Cubans, such as the United Arab Emirates or, until April, Serbia, that include layovers in Germany. Once in Germany, Cubans then present themselves to the police and request asylum. However, the majority of Cubans who seek asylum through this route do not follow through with the asylum process. Instead, most of them fail to report to the designated migration office after requesting asylum, leaving their whereabouts and status unknown to German authorities. According to EFE, approximately 300 Cubans have disappeared after making an asylum claim during a layover and have forgoed the remainder of the asylum process. EFE reports that approximately 95 percent of asylum applications submitted by Cubans are rejected by German authorities. A total of 187 Cubans requested asylum in Germany in 2022, up from 38 asylum requests in 2021.

The number of Cubans transiting through Germany has increased notably in recent years as Cubans seek alternative migration routes through Europe, often en route to Spain. In addition to Germany, many countries – including Serbia, Costa Rica, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Panama – have responded to the increased number of Cubans on the move with additional visa restrictions.

EVENTS

Miami, FL, Five Cuban Composers of the Diaspora (1900-2013), August 22

On Tuesday, August 22, Assistant Professor, Department of Art History and Musicology Iván César Morales Flores, will examine the musical careers of five Cuban composers after leaving the island during the 1990s. During the lecture, he will examine the musical stylistic changes of the composers Ileana Pérez Velázquez, Eduardo Morales-Caso, Keyla Orozco, Ailem Carvajal, and Louis Aguirre, and how their Cuban heritage and life beyond the island impacted their musical careers. The event starts at 12:00pm EDT. Call (305) 348-1991 or email CRI@fiu.edu to register.

Miami, FL, Film Screening: Good Things Will Come, September 15

On Friday, September 15, the FIU will host a film screening and discussion of the documentary “Good Things Will Come (No Hay Mal Que Por Bien No Venga).” The brief documentary delves into the early 1960 Pedro Pan Airlift which saw over 14,000 unaccompanied Cuban children sent over to the United States by their parents. The focus is on the experiences of two of these “Pedro Pans,” Guillermo Vidal and Ricardo. They recount the traumatic events that led to their parents’ heart-wrenching decision to send them on an uncertain journey to the United States, as unaccompanied child refugees. Through their narratives, the film intertwines their parallel stories, reflecting on the profound impact this event had on their lives and what we can all learn from it today. The event starts at 7:00pm EDT. Register here.

Miami, FL, New Directions in Cuban Studies, October 18-22

On October 18, the Cuban Heritage Collection of the System of Libraries in the University of Miami will host its fifth edition of the multidisciplinary symposium, New Directions in Cuban Studies. This year’s theme is “The great challenges for Cuba yesterday, today and tomorrow.” The symposium will promote works of postgraduate academics on Cuba, with the purpose of spreading the achievements of the global Cuban diaspora. To apply, complete the application online. Deadline for applications is July 15, 2023.

Coral Gables, FL, Book Presentation: Transnational Cuban Networks of Exchange, October 20

On October 20, Books and Books will host an in-person book discussion of “Circulating Culture: Transnational Cuban Networks of Exchange,” by postdoctoral Research Fellow Jennifer Cearns. Her study delves into the meaning of Cuban culture and identity in a transnational context. Woven into her insightful analysis are evocative vignettes that portray the creators of a resilient and dynamic network—one that defies geopolitical boundaries and has withstood the rapid social changes spanning from the Obama-Biden administration, through the passing of Fidel Castro, and into the Trump-Pence administration. Jennifer Cearns’ work offers a compelling narrative that unravels the remarkable story of this enduring network and its role in shaping contemporary Cuban life. The event starts at 7:00pm EDT. Call (305) 348-1991 or email CRI@fiu.edu to register.

Miami, FL, Panel Discussion: Revisiting the War of 1898 and its Long-Term Repercussions for Cuba & the U.S., October 25

On October 25, FIU will hold a panel discussion focused on the impact of the War of 1898 on Cuba and the United States. Leading scholars Javior Figueroe, Marial Iglesias Utset, Kate Clarke Lemay and Taína Caragol will delve into how the aftermath of the Spanish-Cuban-American War transformed the United States and its newly acquired territories, how Cuba emerged as a 1902 nascent republic, and the growing ubiquitous presence of the United States. The event starts at 2:00pm EDT. Call (305) 348-1991 or email CRI@fiu.edu to register.

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Maria Espinosa