U.S.-Cuba News Brief: 08/30/2022

Dear Friends,

As we enjoy the last days of summer, CDA will not be publishing a News Brief this week and will resume publication next Tuesday. In the meantime, check out some recommended readings below and mark your calendars to join CDA and the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) on Friday, September 9, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. EST for “A Compounding Crisis: Domestic Shortcomings, U.S. policies, and the Impact on Everyday Cubans,” a discussion with experts on the current state of Cuba’s economy, the island’s economic development, impact of U.S. policy, and what the future might hold.

U.S.-Cuba News Brief: 08/23/2022

Dear Friends,

❤️‍🩹 Disaster relief fundraising efforts for Matanzas:

• Special Appeal Matanzas Fire Relief 2022
• No Estás Solo Matanzas
• Let’s Help Matanzas
• Matanzas Fire Relief

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

This week’s Top Stories

• Cuba to both sell and buy foreign currencies
• Florida Lt. Governor makes controversial remark about Cuban migrants
• Cuba sees first case of Monkeypox

Continued Coverage

• Cuba continues to recover from fire in Matanzas
• Final Families Code draft published in National Gazette ahead of public referendum

This week, in Cuba news…

U.S.-Cuba News Brief: 08/16/2022

Dear Friends,

🇨🇺🚨The current wave of Cuban migrants has officially surpassed the previous two largest waves of Cuban migration to the US – the Mariel boatlift in 1980 and the Balsero crisis of 1994 – combined. According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)’s reporting in July 2022, the total number for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 is over 177,800 Cubans. See more numbers below in the Cuban Migration section and learn more by watching CDA’s webinar, “Root Causes, Recent Trends, and the Impact of U.S. policy on Cuban Migration.”

❤️‍🩹Disaster relief fundraising efforts for Matanzas:

• Special Appeal Matanzas Fire Relief 2022
• No Estás Solo Matanzas
• Let’s Help Matanzas
• Matanzas Fire Relief

📝 As a reminder, this is the last week to apply for CDA’s remote, paid, fall internship! Interns develop skills in Cuba and migration policy advocacy, communications, social media, nonprofit development, and more. Learn more and apply by Friday, August 19 on the CDA website.

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

Continued Coverage

• Oil facility fire in Matanzas
• Cuban migration eclipses historic numbers

This week, in Cuba news…

U.S.-Cuba News Brief: 08/09/2022

Dear Friends,

We are saddened to learn of the many injured, missing, and dead as a result of the series of recent explosions at the Matanzas Supertanker Base and subsequent uncontrolled fire at Cuba’s largest oil storage facility. We extend our condolences to the families and communities impacted, extending from Matanzas to Mayabeque, Havana, and beyond. While we are encouraged to see that the U.S. and Cuban governments are already in conversation about the U.S. providing technical assistance, the humanitarian and medical exceptions in U.S. sanctions are fraught with bureaucratic obstacles that impede the agile and urgent response that is needed. CDA and 13 other organizations urge the White House to call for expedited disaster relief support across all relevant agencies and extend the  necessary emergency humanitarian aid to respond to the incident and its ramifications on the island. Read the joint statement here and the In Cuba section below for more details on the events in Matanzas.

We also encourage those who are able to contribute to disaster relief funds and efforts, including Let’s Help Matanzas and Matanzas Fire Relief. We will continue to share other efforts, as we learn of them, on social media and in future news brief publications. Please write to us at info@democracyinamericas.org if you know of any individuals, organizations or initiatives offering direct support to the Cuban people at this time.

If you missed CDA’s webinar, “Root Causes, Recent Trends, and the Impact of U.S. policy on Cuban Migration,” you can watch and listen to the recording in Spanish here. 

CDA is offering two fall 2022 paid internships (remote). Interns develop skills in Cuba and migration policy advocacy, communications, social media, nonprofit development, and more. Learn more and apply on our website.

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

This week’s Top Stories

• More than 100 injured and 14 firefighters missing as oil tank fire rages in Cuba
• Cuba adjusts official exchange rate for convertible currencies

Continued Coverage

• Dengue cases continue to rise

This week, in Cuba news…

U.S.-Cuba News Brief: 08/02/2022

Dear Friends,

Thanks to those of you who joined us last week for CDA’s online panel “Root Causes, Recent Trends, and the Impact of U.S. policy on Cuban Migration” to examine recent trends in Cuban emigration, the possible causes to the record-breaking migration, what makes this current migratory wave distinct and the impact of U.S. policy. A recording of this timely webinar, featuring all Cuban experts, is available here.

This week’s Top Stories

• U.S. Embassy in Havana began processing immigrant visas for immediate relatives in July

Continued Coverage

• Island-wide energy issues persist
• Cuban athlete defections continue

This week, in Cuba news…