The Cuban government continues to violate the most fundamental human rights including freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom to form political parties and trade unions, and free elections. The Cuban government directly controls mass media, the communist party, trade unions, universities, and all formal economic activity. It strives to censor all independent sources of information that may reach the Cuban people by jamming foreign radio broadcasts, controlling internet access, censoring or banning foreign books, newspapers and magazines, and forbidding importation of videocassettes and videocassette recorders.

During 2001, the Cuban government further increased its repression of human rights groups, independent journalists, and other peaceful democratic activists. It recently passed legislation imposing a 10 - 20 year prison sentence for any Cuban receiving or disseminating prohibited information, or printed material or engaging in any activity deemed as aiding U.S. policy towards Cuba. More than 300 Cubans are currently in prison for peaceful political dissent. In the economic arena, the government's punitive taxation and harassment of self-employed people reduced their numbers to an estimated 150,000 in 2001 (down from 210,000 in 1997).

The U.S. national interest in Cuba is to promote a peaceful transition to democracy. To that end, U.S. policy is proceeding on a multi-faceted track: pressure on the regime for change through comprehensive economic sanctions; outreach to the Cuban people; promotion and protection of human rights; multilateral efforts to press for democracy; and migration accords to promote safe, orderly and legal migration.