Development Challenge Other Donors FY 2002 Program Activity Data Sheets Summary Tables Program Summary Strategic Objective Summary USAID Search: Cuba Previous Years' Activities 2001, 2000 Wednesday, 29-May-2002 18:53:07 EDT

Introduction

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

In 1996, USAID awarded the first grant aimed at promoting democratic transition in Cuba. The grant was awarded pursuant to the authority provided in the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992 which authorizes the U.S. government (USG) to provide assistance "through appropriate non-governmental organizations, for the support of individuals and organizations to promote nonviolent democratic change in Cuba." The Cuban Liberty and Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 further elaborates the types of assistance and support the President is authorized to provide for individuals and independent non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to support democracy-building efforts for Cuba. Such assistance includes: published and informational matter--e.g. books, videos, and cassettes--on democracy, human rights and market economies; humanitarian assistance to victims of political repression, as well as their families; support for democratic and human rights groups in Cuba; and support for visits and permanent deployment of independent international human rights monitors in Cuba. In January and May 1999, the Department of State outlined additional steps to reach out to the Cuban people. These include: expansion of people-to-people contact through two-way exchanges among academics, athletes, scientists and others, while streamlining the approval process for such visits; expansion of remittances by allowing any U.S. resident to send limited funds to individual Cuban families; authorization of the sale of food and agricultural inputs to independent nongovernmental entities, including religious groups, family restaurants and private farmers; an effort to establish direct mail service to Cuba, as provided in the Cuba Democracy Act of 1992; strengthening of Radio and TV Marti; and expansion of U.S. public diplomacy efforts around the world.

The Cuban government denounced the January 1999 measures as subversive and passed legislation imposing 10-20 year prison sentences for any Cuban who receives or disseminates prohibited information or printed material and engages in activity the Cuban government deems as aiding U.S. policy toward Cuba. The Cuban government's subsequent arrests of human rights activists, independent journalists and other peaceful democratic voices during 1999 and 2000 have heightened awareness of the human rights struggle in Cuba. However, these Cuban government actions also make it more difficult for U.S. universities, foundations and NGOs to reach out to independent groups on the island. The current Cuban context raises significant challenges to effective implementation, end-use monitoring and evaluation of the USAID Cuba program.

USAID will continue to look for innovative ways to communicate with the Cuban people. The absence of a strong and independent civil society is a major obstacle to democratic change in Cuba. Fidel Castro and the Communist Party of Cuba dominate the political landscape, control the formal economic system, and strive to maintain a monopoly on the flow of information to, from and within the country. U.S. policy recognizes the key importance of civil society in shaping and helping smooth the way for a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy in Cuba. The prospects for peaceful transition will hinge on the ability of a revitalized Cuban civil society to help reconcile conflicts and prepare the population for peaceful democratic and economic change.

A peaceful democratic transition in Cuba must stem from the successful initiatives of Cubans on the island who seek to build civil society and promote respect for human rights. This will require that Cubans develop the means to peacefully reconcile social, economic or political conflicts during the transition. USAID supports NGO activities which open new avenues for promoting a peaceful democratic transition in Cuba, as well as those which build capability/knowledge of independent individuals and groups on the island that will contribute to a peaceful transition once the process of political change has begun.

The Roman Catholic Church provides assistance to CARITAS CUBANA, one of the few independent Cuban non-governmental organizations. In 2000, Canada, China, Russia, the European Union, Japan and the United Nations Development Fund delivered more than $90 million in economic and humanitarian aid.

U.S. policy encourages U.S. NGOs and individuals to undertake humanitarian, informational and civil society-building activities in Cuba with private funds, subject to applicable Treasury and Commerce Department regulations. Dozens of NGOs have been engaging in such activities over the past several years, with licensed humanitarian goods alone amounting to millions of dollars. The intent of the USAID funding is to support activities for which adequate private resources are not presently available, and which offer favorable prospects for serving a catalytic role or leverage for the promotion of a peaceful transition.

The FY 2002 requested $5,000,000 in ESF is intended to promote a peaceful transition to democracy in Cuba by building solidarity with Cuba's human rights activists, giving voice to Cuba's independent journalists, helping develop independent Cuban NGOs, defending the rights of Cuban workers, providing direct outreach to the Cuban people, and planning for assistance to a future transition government in Cuba.

• 516-001 Civil Society Developed Through Information Dissemination  

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