Summary of Proposals for United States Policy Toward Cuba​
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Received until: March 19, 2025
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Number of proposals received: 45
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This report synthesizes the proposals from Cuban civil society directed at the United States government. The recommendations focus on a firm foreign policy that prioritizes support for the citizenry and conditions any relationship with the regime on verifiable democratic changes.
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Human Rights as a Condition for Dialogue
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A majority consensus establishes that any engagement with the Cuban regime must be strictly conditioned on tangible progress in human rights.
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Policy of Zero Unilateral Concessions: It is demanded that the U.S. make no concessions to the Cuban regime without reciprocal actions. All diplomatic or commercial engagement must be subject to measurable steps toward a democratic transition.
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Non-Negotiable Conditions: The conditions for any rapprochement must include the unconditional end of political imprisonment, the cessation of repression, and guarantees for the Cuban people to exercise their sovereignty through free, fair, and multi-party elections.
Strategy of Sanctions and Economic Pressure
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The proposals focus on weakening the regime's financial and repressive capacity through strategic sanctions and the maintenance of key designations.
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Targeted and Strengthened Sanctions: It is proposed to expand financial sanctions under the Magnitsky Act, directing them against officials, military figures, the GAESA conglomerate, and the frontmen operating regime-linked MSMEs (Mipymes). The objective is to pressure the elites without directly affecting the populace.
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Maintain Key Designation: It is crucial to keep Cuba on the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism, citing its alliances with hostile actors that threaten regional stability and U.S. security.
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Blockade of Financial Networks: Sanctions must block the regime's support networks globally, limit their entry into the United States, and restrict their access to international financing.
Strengthening Cuban Civil Society
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A pillar of the proposed strategy is the direct empowerment of citizens and independent organizations as engines of change.
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Direct Support and Resources: Civil society and dissidents must be strengthened by increasing funding for pro-democracy organizations and supporting independent media.
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Access to Free Information: A key measure is to provide citizens with secure internet access, suggesting the use of satellite technology to circumvent the regime's censorship.
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Recognition as Interlocutors: It is requested that the U.S. recognize and empower the opposition and civil society as the legitimate representatives of the Cuban people.
International Leadership and Isolation of the Regime
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The proposals urge the United States to lead a global diplomatic effort to isolate the regime and unify international pressure.
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Coalition of Democratic Nations: The U.S. should lead a coalition to isolate Cuban regime officials in global forums.
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Coordination of Pressure: This coalition should advocate for the suspension of agreements such as the European Union's Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement with Cuba and coordinate actions to counter the Cuban government's tactics and propaganda.
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Other Mentioned Proposals
In addition to the points of broad consensus, specific ideas were mentioned that refine the strategy of support and pressure:
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Allow Support for the People: While sanctions on the regime are tightened, citizens' access to direct remittances and the acquisition of essential goods should be expanded so as not to affect the population.
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Cuban-Led Change: It is emphasized that the objective of these measures is to promote a change led from within by Cubans themselves, avoiding direct interventions that could be misinterpreted.
Summary of the proposals from Cuban Opposition and Civil Society Organizations to U.S. government and people's institutions
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Received until: February 10, 2021
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Number of proposals received: 162
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​Frequently cited points:
The revision of The United States' policy towards Cuba must support democracy and free, multiparty elections without making unilateral concessions, but rather conditioned on irreversible steps towards the recognition of human rights. Any eventual negotiation process that involves the current Cuban regime must recognize the members of the opposition and civil society as interlocutors and be preceded by:
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- the unconditional release of all political prisoners in Cuba;
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- the end of violence and repression committed against members of the internal opposition, independent civil society and citizens;
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- and respect of law, and in practice, for fundamental human rights such as freedom of expression, association and public demonstration.
The United States is requested to express its solidarity with actions such as:
- Publicly expressing a willingness to support the Cuban people and promote humanitarian aid from the American people to citizens and civil society on the island, preventing the intervention or benefit of the regim.
- Imposing political, financial, diplomatic and legal sanctions on the persons responsible and complicit in the repression and policies of human rights violations, echoing the Global Magnitsky Act, aimed at imposing political and economic sanctions against agents involved in serious abuses.
- Denouncing the interventionist nature of the dictatorship and begin to convict people involved in crimes related to drug trafficking, human trafficking through “missions” abroad, activities related to terrorism and other illegalities.
- Inviting nations and multinational agencies (OAS, UN, European Union) within the hemisphere to stand in solidarity with the Cuban people and their right to decide democratic change.
- Inviting and promoting the participation of Cuban independent civil society in international forums such as the Summit of the Americas and prohibit the participation of the regime until it complies with the articles of the Inter-American Democratic Charter.
Other points mentioned at least once:
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Requests made for consideration by the institutions of the government and people of the United States:
- Promote the tool of universal jurisdiction to bring perpetrators to justice for torture and ill-treatment in Cuba.
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- In 2003, a US grand jury charged the head of the Cuban air force, General Rubén Martínez Puente, and the brothers Lorenzo and Francisco Pérez-Pérez, the two MiG pilots involved in the February 24, 1996 shootdowns of Hermanos al Rescate, for the four murders resulting from that action. Request that the Department of Justice request the Secretary General of INTERPOL to issue a "Red Alert" internationally to seek out the perpetrators involved in bringing down the two Hermanos al Rescate planes.
- Advocating an international investigation into the extrajudicial executions of Oswaldo Payá and Harold Cepero in 2012; as well as designating July 22 as the annual day of remembrance for the Victims of Communism in the Americas, to honor all who have died fighting for freedom in Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba and other parts of our hemisphere, defending democracy.
- Work to restore the special rapporteur on Cuba through the UN Human Rights Council.
- Consistent with the democratic values shared with the American people and the purposes of the Cuba Decide initiative, we call for solidarity regarding the right of Cuban people to live in democracy and enjoy free, fair and multi-party elections.
- The policy of giving priority to the defense and promotion of all human rights must have bipartisan. Support in order for it to be a true state policy.
