Between March 2023 and February 2024, the government of the United States (US) maintained the policy of maximum pressure against Cuba and the rigorous application of the economic, commercial and financial blockade as its fundamental axis. The unilateral measures with the greatest impact on the Cuban population and economy remained unchanged, which continued to reproduce and aggravate the devastating effects of this unilateral coercive system, the longest and most comprehensive in history.
The U.S. Department of State's unilateral designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism; the possibility of lawsuits being filed in U.S. courts under Title III of the Cuban Liberty and Solidarity Act (Hms-Burton Act); the sanctions or threats of sanctions against shipping companies, freight forwarders, insurers or reinsurers involved in the supply of fuel to Cuba; the intense and meticulous monitoring of Cuban financial transactions and the consequent obstacles to the supply of primary resources; as well as the maintenance of other unilateral lists, were confirmed as the most severe measures.
In May 2024, the U.S. government discontinued the arbitrary and unjustified practice of designating Cuba as a state not fully cooperating with U.S. anti-terrorism efforts. This unilateral designation was another slander, but without practical consequences, since it did not entail unilateral coercive economic measures. This step did not imply the easing or lifting of any of the measures that are part of the blockade or of the additional coercive measures triggered by Cuba's presence on the false unilateral list of alleged state sponsors of terrorism. It was a limited decision that makes Cuba's continued presence on this list, on which it should never have been included, even more inappropriate, confusing and unjustifiable.
The announcements made by the U.S. government on May 28, 2024, regarding some changes in the legal framework of the blockade as it relates to the private sector, also did not change the fundamental body of this policy.
During the aforementioned period covered by the report on Cuba pursuant to Resolution 78/7 of the General Assembly of the United Nations on the "Necessity of ending the economic, financial and commercial embargo of the United States of America against Cuba", the U.S. government extended harsh laws and regulations related to Cuba, the effects of which increased the harmful consequences of the embargo. The following official pronouncements stand out:
On March 31, 2023, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced a monetary settlement of $72,230.32 with Uphold HQ Inc (Uphold), a Larkspur, California-based money services business, for apparent violations of "sanctions" programs against Cuba, Iran, and Venezuela. The transactions involving Cuba totaled 25, for a total of $142,683.74, between March 2017 and May 2022.
On September 29, 2023, by presidential memorandum, President Joseph Biden extended for another year the restrictions on the granting of federal funds for cultural and educational exchanges with Cuba, among other measures. This action stemmed from Cuba's arbitrary and unjustified continued designation as Tier 3 on the State Department's annual Trafficking in Persons Report.
On April 6, 2023, Microsoft Corporation, headquartered in Redmond, Washington, agreed to pay $2,980,265.86 to OFAC and an additional $347,631 to the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the Department of Commerce for violations of various U.S. sanctions programs, including those against Cuba. The total penalty amounted to 3 million 327,896 dollars. 54 of the 1339 apparent violations were related to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations.
On November 6, 2023, OFAC announced in an official release a monetary settlement with daVinci Payments (daVinci), a U.S. company that administers prepaid reward card programs, for apparent violations of various coercive programs, including the blockade against Cuba. DaVinci remitted $206,213 to the Treasury Department for apparently participating in the exchange of reward cards from individuals in sanctioned countries between Nov. 15, 2017, and July 27, 2022.
On February 21, 2024, U.S. President Joseph Biden issued a proclamation extending for one year the national emergency with respect to Cuba declared by President William Clinton on March 1, 1996.
On October 29 and 30, the General Assembly will consider and vote on the above-mentioned draft resolution on the "Necessity of ending the economic, financial and commercial embargo of the United States against Cuba". Once again, the international community will raise its voice and overwhelmingly reject this unjust, illegal and cruel policy.
Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations