U.S.-Cuba News Brief: 06/25/2021

Dear Friends,

Happy Friday! We hope you and yours are well.

CDA is seeking two fall interns! Interns work in three key areas: Policy and Advocacy; Communications and Social Media; and Nonprofit Development. Internships may be completed remotely or in-person. The deadline to apply is August 5. Visit our website to learn more about the internship and to read reflections from past interns. 

This week, Cuba’s state-run biopharmaceutical corporation BioCubaFarma announced the efficacy levels of the Soberana 02 and Abdala vaccine candidates following the final stages of clinical trials. The two vaccines have proved to be tremendously effective, with two out of three Soberana 02 doses reaching 62 percent efficiency levels and three Abdala doses reaching 92.28 percent. 

Meanwhile, the U.S. once again voted against an annual resolution condemning the economic and trade embargo imposed against Cuba during a meeting at the 75th United Nations General Assembly in New York City. While the vote is not legally-binding, it signals the U.S.’s and the international community’s position on the embargo. The resolution typically receives nearly unanimous support. The U.S. traditionally votes no, but abstained from voting on the resolution for the first time in 2016 during the Obama administration’s rapprochement with the island. Had the Biden-Harris administration abstained, it could have signaled an openness to engagement. Instead, the “no” vote could signal a continuation of harmful travel and trade restrictions enacted under the Trump administration. Following the vote this week, the Center for Democracy in the Americas (CDA), the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), Cuban Americans for Engagement (CAFE), MEDICC, and Oxfam Cuba released a joint statement denouncing the U.S.’s vote and approach to Cuba. Read the full statement here. 

Yesterday, Cuba reported 177,253 cases of COVID-19. There are currently 10,367 total active cases of COVID-19 on the island, an increase from the previous day. Matanzas reported the largest number of new cases by far compared to other provinces at 452. The total number of deaths since March 2020 is 1,219. For a graph of case numbers since March 2020, see here. For a detailed breakdown of all COVID-19 data, visit this website. 

This week, in Cuba news…

U.S.-Cuba News Brief: 06/18/2021

Dear Friends,

Happy Friday! We hope you and yours are well.

CDA is seeking two fall interns! Interns work in three key areas: Policy and Advocacy; Communications and Social Media; and Nonprofit Development. Internships may be completed remotely or in-person. The deadline to apply is August 5. Visit our website to learn more about the internship and to read reflections from past interns. 

This week the Biden-Harris administration announced the composition of two panels made up of experts inside and outside of the White House to investigate the health incidents affecting U.S. personnel abroad and more recently in the U.S. For the latest information and a detailed timeline concerning the health incidents, refer to our recently updated memorandum.

Next Tuesday, June 22, CDA, Oxfam, the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), and Cuban Americans for Engagement (CAFE) will host a webinar discussing Oxfam’s recent report on the impacts of U.S. sanctions on women in Cuba and vulnerable populations in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event will be live-streamed in English via Zoom on Tuesday, June 22 from 9:30 AM-10:30 AM EST. To join, register here and for additional information contact Stephanie Burgos at stephanie.burgos@oxfam.org 

Yesterday, Cuba reported 164,896 cases of COVID-19. There are currently 7,748 total active cases of COVID-19 on the island, an increase from the previous day. Havana reported the largest number of new cases by far compared to other provinces at 328. The total number of deaths since March 2020 is 1,132. For a graph of case numbers since March 2020, see here. For a detailed breakdown of all COVID-19 data, visit this website. 

This week, in Cuba news…

U.S.-Cuba News Brief: 06/11/2021

Dear Friends,

Happy Friday! We hope you and yours are well.

This week, Cuba’s government made multiple efforts aimed at improving Cuba’s economy. On Thursday, it was announced that the island will no longer be accepting USD cash bank deposits given difficulties faced by the island when trying to deposit USD abroad. It was also clarified this week that recently announced prepaid USD cards are to be used by Cuban tourists and emigrants, not by the general Cuban population. The prepaid cards were introduced as a response to the current lack of liquidity faced by the Cuban peso in the island’s financial market. While the island adopted policies to ease economic turmoil domestically, Cuba’s Deputy Prime Minister Ricardo Cabrisas traveled to France on Thursday to renegotiate a 2015 debt forgiveness and payment plan agreement with the Paris Club. Cuba failed to meet payment obligations in 2019 and 2020 due to economic hardships allegedly frustrated by U.S. sanctions and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, Cuban rapper Maykel Castillo Osorbo, a member of the San Isidro Movement (MSI) and one of the two Cuba-based singers featured in the viral song Patria y Vida (“Fatherland and Life”), remains under state custody while facing charges of public disorder and evasion of authority. While state authorities claim that Mr. Osorbo has been offered legal representation and maintains contact with his family, independent organizations in Cuba have questioned the validity of his arrest and demanded his immediate release. Cuba was again mentioned in international headlines over suspicions that an Iranian warship thought to be carrying weapons potentially destined for Venezuela may also dock in Cuba. The concern sparked warnings from the Biden-Harris administration that such a shipment would be seen as a provocation and could be met with deterrence measures.

In news pertaining to COVID-19 in Cuba, the island’s vaccination campaign in Havana continues to expand, along with plans to eventually bring the island’s domestically produced vaccines to the international market. The island has also had a significant increase in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. As of last Thursday, Cuba reached the highest number of patients in ICUs since March of 2020 with a total of 161. Yesterday, Cuba reported 154,866 cases of COVID-19. There are currently 6,192 total active cases of COVID-19 on the island, an increase from the previous day. Havana reported the largest number of new cases by far compared to other provinces at 460. The total number of deaths since March 2020 is 1,065. For a graph of case numbers since March 2020, see here. For a detailed breakdown of all COVID-19 data, visit this website. 

This week, in Cuba news…

U.S.-Cuba News Brief: 06/04/2021

Dear Friends,

Happy Friday! We hope you and yours are well.

For your weekend reading list, be sure to check out Cuba’s Digital Revolution: Citizen Innovation and State Policy written by Ted A. Henken and Sara García Santamaria. This collection of essays explores the evolution of internet access in Cuba and the impact that increased levels of access have had on Cuba’s cultural, economic, social, and political spheres.

Public health authorities have released Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, artist and leader of the San Isidro Movement (MSI), from Havana’s General Calixto Garcia University Hospital after nearly four weeks at the facility with limited communication. Mr. Otero intends to share his experience with the public and emphasized that the struggles against state censorship on the island are not over. Last week, Amnesty International declared Mr. Otero a “prisoner of conscience” while local artists in Havana asked the Museum of Fine Arts to remove their work until authorities released the activist and government surveillance ended.

After struggling to obtain visas to travel to the U.S. to participate in the Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Cuba’s international baseball team made it to the U.S., but will not be competing in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Unfortunately, the team was eliminated from the tournament after losing games against Venezuela and Canada this week. While playing against Venezuela, protesters surrounded the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches stadium in West Palm Beach, Florida. The protesters stood outside of the stadium during the game and held Cuban and Venezuelan flags while demanding reforms in both countries.

Health authorities have opened a total of 473 vaccination sites in Havana to administer the Abdala vaccine. As Cuba extends its vaccination campaign throughout the island, Argentina has expressed interest in collaborating with the production of the Abdala and Soberana II vaccines. In response to economic shortages on the island, Cubans and others abroad have begun campaigns to collect needles and syringes. The Saving Lives Campaign and Global Health Partners have founded an online initiative to provide the island with much needed medical supplies. Without donations, the shortages have the potential to halt vaccination efforts.

Yesterday, Cuba reported 146,696 cases of COVID-19. There are currently 5,798 total active cases of COVID-19 on the island, an increase from the previous day. Havana reported the largest number of new cases by far compared to other provinces at 455. The total number of deaths since last March is 992. For a graph of case numbers since March 2020, see here. For a detailed breakdown of all COVID-19 data, visit this website. In response to rising COVID-19 numbers, Cuba’s government has begun a mass vaccination campaign. Cuba’s struggling economy is also suffering in the face of the pandemic.

This week, in Cuba news…