Politico
Arlington, Virginia
14 November 2021

Excerpt: "Programming to strengthen democracy and fight corruption has been core to USAID's work for decades and is one of Administrator Power's top priorities for the agency."

US Agency For International Development
Washington DC
12 November 2021

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell hosts USAID administrator Samantha Power in Brussels.

On November 19, Administrator Power will travel to Brussels, Belgium. While in Brussels, Administrator Power will participate in the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council Development Ministers Meeting to discuss U.S. government and USAID strategic and policy priorities with the European Union (EU) and its member states. Administrator Power will also hold bilateral meetings with key EU leaders including Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, and Jutta Urpilainen, Commissioner for International Partnerships.

From USAID: Cuba

USAID provides on-going humanitarian assistance to political prisoners and their families, and politically marginalized individuals to alleviate the hardships suffered because of their political beliefs or efforts to exercise their fundamental freedoms. Since the program’s inception, USAID has provided nutritional food items, vitamins, over-the-counter medicines, and toiletries to thousands of Cuban families, providing an invaluable lifeline to improve their physical and psychological well-being.

USAID supports broad-based development activities by providing technical and material assistance to organize, train, and energize small groups of people within their communities. These efforts empower Cuban citizens to work together in an independent manner and reduce their dependence on the state. USAID also provides trainings on documenting human rights abuses according to international standards and raises awareness of such abuses within Cuba and around the world.

USAID has provided basic news and information about issues relevant to Cubans from inside Cuba and around the world. USAID programs have disseminated books, magazines, newspapers, and pamphlets to broad segments of the population. USAID also helped train hundreds of journalists over the last decade whose work has appeared in major international news outlets.

USAID programs reflect the principles enshrined in the United Nations Convention on Human Rights (link is external) and Inter-American Democratic Charter (link is external), such as freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion. USAID’s FY2015 budget for our programs in Cuba is $6.25 million. USAID Contact Email: cubaoffice@usaid.gov

LINK To USAID Foriegn Assistance Data For Cuba (2001-2022)

650 Items Listed On 15 November 2021 And 649 Items Lists On 16 November 2021: https://www.usaid.gov/site-search/Cuba

The White House
Washington DC
15 November 2021

Statement by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Cuba’s November 15 Protests

This July, the world watched as Cubans bravely took to the streets in historic protests, asserting their rights to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly. In advance of peaceful demonstrations planned for today, the Cuban regime predictably deployed a set piece of harsh prison sentences, sporadic arrests, intimidation tactics, and acts of repudiation all in an attempt to silence the voice of Cuban people as they clamor for change, demand an end to political violence, and implore the regime to liberate the hundreds of peaceful protestors detained after July 11 just for wanting a greater say in the future of their country.

By its actions, the Cuban regime failed to respect the civil and political rights enumerated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international human rights treaties ratified by Cuba, including the right to peaceful assembly and association, the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and freedom from arbitrary arrest, detention, or exile. There is no denying the regime’s brutal crackdown in response to July 11, which were broadcast in real time for the world to see.

The United States is committed to supporting the agency of the Cuban people as they seek to promote democratic change as an inclusive and broad-based social movement. We urge the Cuban regime to refrain from violence against peaceful protestors and to immediately release all those unjustly detained, and we call on the international community to voice their support for the Cuban people.

The Cuban regime should take this opportunity to listen to their people: to hear their frustrations and look for ways to work together to better serve the needs and ambitions of all Cubans. The United States will not waver in its support of Cubans’ pursuit of fundamental freedoms and a democratic and prosperous society.

United States Department of State
Washington DC
16 November 2021

Denunciation of Cuban Government’s Response to Peaceful Demonstrations
Ned Price, Department Spokesperson

The United States commends the courage and will of the Cuban people who stood in the face of government repression to make their voices heard yesterday. The Cuban regime again blocked the voices of the Cuban people rather than listen to them, forgoing opportunities for dialogue and positive change for the future of Cuba.

Cubans throughout the island sought to demonstrate peacefully and ask their government to respect their fundamental freedoms and address their needs. They wanted to speak freely to their government, to decry the corruption and economic mismanagement that has left them without food, medicine, or medical supplies. The Cuban regime again denied them that chance. The authorities surrounded the homes of organizers and influencers to prevent them from exercising their rights of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, repressed the protests where they did occur, and arrested demonstrators. The Cuban government aimed to hide what was happening from the rest of the world by revoking professional journalists’ credentials and cutting communication to organizers. Nevertheless, the international community once again witnessed the stifling of liberty by Cuba’s authoritarian regime.

Just as they did on July 11 and throughout this summer, the Cuban people courageously and peacefully attempted to initiate a discussion with their government. Time and again, the Cuban government rejected that effort with repression, sending security, police, and government-backed mobs to bully those who seek a democratic transition. We reiterate our call to the international community to press Cuba’s repressive regime to listen to its people. We join the international community in condemning the mass arrests of Cuban protestors, seeking the release of those unjustly detained in Cuba, and supporting the Cuban people’s desire to determine their own future.

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