On May 28, the U.S. Government finally announced a set of measures to put into effect its May 16, 2022 announcements. The objective of this step, according to the text published by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), is to favor the private sector in Cuba.
The measures are limited and do not touch the fundamental body of the blockade against Cuba nor the additional sanctions that make up the policy of maximum pressure. Once again, the US government’s decision is based on its own distorted vision of the Cuban reality, by artificially separating the private sector from the public sector, when both are part of the Cuban business system and of society as a whole.
With this announcement, the U.S. Government intends to target only one segment of our population. It does not eliminate or modify the coercive measures that today most affect the Cuban economy and public services and that severely damage the well-being of our entire population.
If the announced measures are implemented, the United States seeks to put the private sector, which has been legally established and has grown under the measures taken in a sovereign act by the Cuban Government in consultation with the Cuban people, at an advantage. The same has happened with Internet access established and expanded by Cuba despite the obstacles of the blockade and restrictions to prevent free access to hundreds of tools and websites.
The U.S. government has been explicit in its intention to use this sector for political purposes against the Revolution, depending on its regime change objectives.
Even if this is a capricious selectivity, both the public and private sectors will continue to suffer the consequences of the blockade and the absurd inclusion of Cuba in the list of States that allegedly sponsor terrorism.
The coercive measures that make up the economic blockade will remain in force with cruel effect on the entire Cuban population. It is evident that the U.S. ratifies its will to punish Cuba’s state sector, knowing that it provides essential services such as education, health, culture, sports and others to all Cubans, including the private sector; and that it is the guarantee of social justice and equity among citizens. For this reason, recent measures were taken by the U.S. Government to persecute Cuba’s international medical cooperation and documents have been published that reveal that it is continuing its efforts to deprive us of income and destabilize the country for political purposes of domination.
The Cuban Government will study these measures and, if they do not violate national legislation and mean an opening that benefits the Cuban population, even if only a segment, it will not hinder their implementation.
Havana, May 28, 2024