President Joe Biden hosted several Cuban leaders at the White House on July 30, such as Manny Diaz, Yotuel Romero, and Sen. Bob Menendez, among others.
What We Know:
- The President of the United States held this meeting to discuss how his administration responded to Cuba’s July 11 protests. Biden felt pressure from Cuban-American citizens and politicians who held protests across the nation and capital, urging him to do more for the island. More specifically, the exile community wants the President to begin by restoring internet access to islanders and intervening with the military.
- Prior to the meeting, the Biden Administration continued imposing sanctions against Cuban officials on July 29. Through the use of the Global Magnitsky Act, the Treasury Department punished two Cuban police force officials, Oscar Callejas Valcarcel and Eddy Sierra Arias, and the Policia Nacional Revolucionaria of the Cuban Ministry of the Interior. Doing so freezes their assets and blocks them from entering the United States.
- In the Treasury Department’s statement, officials wrote they sanctioned Callejas Valcarcel and Sierra Arias for attempting to suppress “peaceful, pro-democratic protests.” When demonstrations began on July 11, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel urged police, military, and communist supporters to stop protestors “by any means possible;” since then, over 500 islanders have been arrested or gone missing. Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control Andrea M. Gacki declared the Treasury would also continue to call out those who facilitate the Cuban regime’s involvement in serious human rights abuse.”
- Furthermore, Biden promised Cuban-Americans he would continue sanctioning Cuban officials unless he sees some “drastic change” in the government, which he does not expect. Additionally, he asked the Treasury and State departments to report ways to send remittances to Cuba without governmental interference in a month. Alongside this, Biden is working on a plan to provide wireless communications to the island and bolster staff at Havana’s U.S. Embassy.
- The Biden Administration sanctioned Cuba’s military leader General Alvaro Lopez Miera, and the Black Wasps before these sanctions. In addition, the U.S. joined twenty other countries in condemning Cuban leaders for human rights violations.
After some push, the United States is actively working to help Cubans become independent.
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