January<\/b><\/p>\n
<\/b>05<\/strong>. The U.S. government again included Cuba, along with countries such as Russia, China, and Nicaragua, on its <\/span>blacklist on religious freedom<\/b><\/a>. Other nations such as Burma, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Tajikistan, and Vietnam appear on the list.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/b>05.<\/strong> Foreign Minister Bruno Rodr\u00edguez rejected the inclusion of Cuba on United States \u201cunilateral\u201d lists hours after the island was again placed by Washington among the countries that, in its opinion, violate religious freedom.<\/span><\/p>\n In the opinion of the foreign minister, this decision by the United States \u201cresponds to (the) need to justify its inhuman measures of siege and economic warfare against (the) Cuban people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/b>05.<\/strong> The Cornell University <\/span>Symphonic Wind Band<\/b><\/a>, from the United States, under the direction of James Spinazzola, performed in the Che Guevara Hall of Casa de las Am\u00e9ricas. The performance of the U.S. ensemble is part of a ten-day tour of Cuba with community presentations.<\/span><\/p>\n 18.<\/strong> The U.S. government confirmed that it does not plan for now to allow Cuban <\/span>micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)<\/b><\/a> access to the U.S. banking system. Eric Jacobstein<\/span> Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs of the State Department, said during a hearing in Congress that at the moment he did not have information about specific regulatory changes.<\/span><\/p>\n This Thursday, the federal official was questioned about rumors that the Biden administration would be considering allowing Cuban entrepreneurs to open accounts in U.S. banks. However, Jacobstein assured during his speech that the White House is committed to \u201csupporting the Cuban people\u201d and facilitating \u201cthe growth of the private sector\u201d on the island, which, he said, \u201csees the United States as a source of inspiration,\u201d said an EFE report.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/b>28.<\/strong> Cuba received 28 <\/span>irregular migrants<\/b><\/a> returned by the United States, bringing the total number of Cubans deported by sea to 91 so far in 2024. This new group, made up of 23 men and 3 women, tried to reach the United States illegally and was intercepted at sea by the Coast Guard, detailed a note from the Ministry of the Interior (MININT).<\/span><\/p>\n <\/b>29.<\/strong> Between January 29 and 31, <\/span>Sara Minkara<\/b><\/a>, U.S. Department of State Special Advisor on International Disability Rights. (SAIDR), visited Havana, the <\/span>United States Embassy<\/b><\/a> reported.<\/span><\/p>\n Minkara met with representatives of the Cuban government, independent entrepreneurs, former students of programs sponsored by the Embassy, and students of educational institutions in Havana, according to a <\/span>press release<\/b><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n February<\/b><\/p>\n <\/b>01.<\/strong> The U.S. writer Alice Walker received the Hayd\u00e9e Santamar\u00eda medal in Havana, during an event held at Casa de las Am\u00e9ricas. The award was given to her in recognition of her support and deepening of U.S. ties with Cuba.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/b>07.<\/strong> Cuban and U.S. authorities<\/b><\/a> held talks in Washington on security and law enforcement. The Cuban representatives provided their U.S. counterparts with information on people \u201cidentified for their links to terrorism.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The meeting was the sixth on this topic since 2015 intending to promote \u201ccooperation to combat terrorism, illegal trafficking of migrants and immigration fraud, drug trafficking, among other scourges that threaten the security of the two countries,\u201d according to the Cuban Foreign Ministry. According to <\/span>a note published<\/b><\/a> by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX), the exchange \u201ctook place in a climate of respect and professionalism.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/b>10.<\/strong> An alliance of U.S. and Cuban-American groups and activists published an open letter to <\/span>President Joe Biden\u00a0<\/b><\/a>encouraging him to change the course of his policy towards Cuba.<\/span><\/p>\n United Voice for Change: A Call to Review U.S.-Cuba Policy<\/i><\/b><\/a> is the title of the appeal sponsored by ACERE.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/b>22.<\/strong> Representatives of the U.S. agricultural sector expressed their \u201coptimism\u201d about future collaboration with Cuba but stressed that the exchange must be on both sides.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere may be new opportunities and we are optimistic about the possibility of future cooperation with Cuba,\u201d Ted A. MCKinney, president of the <\/span>National Association of State Departments of Agriculture<\/b><\/a> (NASDA), told the press.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/b>23.<\/strong> Scientists and researchers from <\/span>Cuba and the United States<\/b><\/a> discussed in Havana’s preparation for pandemic situations, cancer, and other health issues, <\/span>reported\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>the<\/span> Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP). The exchanges occurred within the 2nd Joint Scientific Meeting Cuba-United States held last week.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/b>24.<\/strong> During the visit to Cuba, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Diplomacy Kerri S. Hannan met with private businesspeople and representatives of civil society, as well as with government officials.<\/span><\/p>\n According to a press release from the U.S. Embassy, <\/span>\u200b\u200b<\/span>Hannan exchanged <\/span>with Cuban entrepreneurs<\/b><\/a> \u201cto learn about the challenges they face and to demonstrate the continued support of the United States to the Cuban people and the Cuban private sector.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n In addition, she \u201clearned firsthand how they provide food, supplies, employment and economic opportunities to the Cuban people,\u201d and \u201cexplored with them how the U.S. government can strengthen the independent Cuban private sector with exchanges and other aid.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n March<\/b><\/p>\n <\/b>01.<\/strong> Ilham Omar, a U.S. House of Representatives member, joined the demands for a change in the White House policy towards Cuba.<\/span><\/p>\n Omar expressed her frustration at the continuity of policies strengthened by the Trump administration and called on President Biden to make a substantial change. \u201cFor 65 long years the Cuban people have suffered from the U.S. embargo,\u201d said the representative from Minnesota.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/b>02.<\/strong> The Cuban Consular Office in the United States announced that it will resume in-person services starting Monday, March 4, according to a <\/span>statement\u00a0<\/b><\/a>from the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX).<\/span><\/p>\n <\/b>08.<\/strong> A group of\u00a0<\/span>Republican\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>congresspeople<\/span> asked President Biden to keep Cuba on the list of state sponsors of terrorism. The legislators made this request amid the controversy over the trip two congresspeople from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party made to Cuba at the end of February.<\/span><\/p>\n Republicans Mar\u00eda Elvira Salazar, Nicole Malliotakis, Carlos Gim\u00e9nez, and Mario D\u00edaz-Balart, all of Cuban origin, gave a press conference in front of Congress to make public their request to Biden and to attack the socialist system that, in their opinion, \u201chas destroyed Cuba.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n These legislators are trying to promote the so-called Force Acts, which would prevent the United States from normalizing relations with Cuba until \u201cfreedom and democracy are restored\u201d on the island. In addition, it would prohibit the State Department from removing Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism if those conditions are not met.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/b>09.<\/strong> A U.S. federal court dismissed a <\/span>lawsuit<\/b><\/a> to stop the <\/span>humanitarian parole<\/b><\/a> program that allows migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to request emergency entry into the country.<\/span><\/p>\n According to the decision of federal judge Drew B. Tipton, the government of Democrat Joe Biden will be able to continue implementing this initiative, which had been opposed by several states in the union led by Texas.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/b>18.<\/strong> The U.S. government expressed its support for the protesters in Cuba while denying being behind <\/span>this Sunday\u2019s protests<\/b><\/a> in different localities.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe United States supports the Cuban people exercising their right to assemble peacefully,\u201d said Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols on social media.<\/span><\/p>\n Nichols also said that \u201cthe Cuban government will not be able to meet the needs of its people until it adopts democracy and the rule of law and respects the rights of Cuban citizens.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/b>18.<\/strong> The <\/span>Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX)<\/b><\/a> summoned United States Charg\u00e9 d\u2019Affaires Benjamin Ziff regarding the <\/span>U.S. statements<\/b><\/a> following the <\/span>protests that took place<\/b><\/a> on Sunday in several towns on the island.<\/span><\/p>\n Ziff was summoned by Deputy Minister Carlos Fern\u00e1ndez de Coss\u00edo, who \u201cformally conveyed to him the firm rejection of the interventionist conduct and the slanderous messages of the U.S. government and its embassy in Cuba\u201d in light of these events, according to <\/span>a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs<\/b><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/b>23.<\/strong> The U.S. House of Representatives, dominated by Republicans, approved a bill containing specific restrictions on transferring government funds to promote entrepreneurship in Cuba.<\/span><\/p>\n The financing package also includes the approval of economic assistance to U.S. allies and funds for the \u201cpromotion of democracy\u201d in countries such as Cuba and Nicaragua.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Congressman Mario D\u00edaz-Balart highlighted the allocation of 25 million dollars (an increase of 5% compared to 2023) destined for the work of the Cuba Broadcasting Office, in charge of Radio and TV Mart\u00ed, in 2024.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/b>29.<\/strong> Cuba received a flight from the United States on Thursday in which 61 <\/span>irregular migrants<\/b><\/a> were deported, including one who \u201cwas escaping from a penitentiary where he was serving a sentence for human trafficking,\u201d <\/span>according\u00a0<\/b><\/a>to a statement from the Ministry of the Interior (MININT).<\/span><\/p>\n The group was made up of 52 men, seven women and two minors. With their arrival, 340 people have been returned in 26 operations from various countries in the region so far this year, official media reported cited by EFE.<\/span><\/p>\n April<\/b><\/p>\n <\/b>02<\/strong>. The <\/span>Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX)<\/b> considered the new press reports on the so-called <\/span>\u201cHavana Syndrome\u201d\u00a0<\/b><\/a>released in recent days to be a \u201cpolitical propaganda operation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n These reports came to light as a result of a joint investigation by the U.S. network CBS, the Russian exile media outlet <\/span>The Insider,<\/span><\/i> and the German magazine <\/span>Der Spiegel<\/span><\/i>, according to which the mysterious health incidents reported by some 200 United States officials in Cuba and other countries would be the result of deliberate attacks and Russia would be behind them.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis is not an investigation, it is another political propaganda operation that does not provide any evidence and hides from the public the conclusions of important scientific studies that show that the \u2018Havana Syndrome\u2019 does not exist,\u201d said Johana Tablada, deputy director for the United States of the Cuban Foreign Ministry, on X.<\/span><\/p>\n