The White House
Washington DC
12 July 2021

“The Cuban people are demanding their freedom from an authoritarian regime. I don’t think we’ve seen anything like these protests in a long long time if, quite frankly ever,” he said. “The US stands firmly with the people of Cuba as they assert their universal rights. And we call on the government of Cuba to refrain from violence in their attempt to silence the voices of the people of Cuba.”

Mr. President, would you consider changing the embargo on Cuba? Would you consider making any changes to the embargo with Cuba? When you will be ready to change Trump's reversal on Cuba, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT: We are going to have more to say about Cuba and Haiti as the week goes on and -- so stay tuned.

United States Department of State
Washington DC
12 July 2021

Secretary of State Antony Blinken

Good afternoon, everyone. Good to see you all. Let me just say, before turning to today’s report, I want to speak briefly to the situation in two countries in the hemisphere. Over the weekend, tens of thousands of Cubans took to the streets on the island to exercise their rights to assemble peacefully and express their views. The protesters called for freedom and human rights. They criticized Cuba’s authoritarian regime for failing to meet people’s most basic needs, including food and medicine. In many instances, peaceful protesters were met with repression and violence. The Biden-Harris administration stands by the Cuban people and people around the world who demand their human rights and who expect governments to listen to and serve them rather than try to silence them. Peaceful protesters are not criminals, and we join partners across the hemisphere and around the world in urging the Cuban regime to respect the rights of the Cuban people to determine their own future, something they have been denied for far too long.

QUESTION: Thanks, Mr. Secretary. Could I follow up on your remarks on Cuba? I was wondering what implications this has for U.S. policy. There’s a policy review underway. Does this affect the timeline and when do you expect that to be finished? Ideas like remittances, travel, things that were – that took place under Obama, are those still on the cards now after this? And on that note, the president of Cuba today said that the U.S. was provoking social unrest. Do you have any response to that?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: The policy review that you point to focuses on the political and economic well-being of the Cuban people, and obviously we’re looking carefully and closely at what has just happened, what indeed is happening. And as we stated many times, at the heart of the review and at the heart of the policy that would result are democracy and human rights. That’s core to our efforts. That will be reflected in the policy. I think it would be a grievous mistake for the Cuban regime to interpret what is happening in dozens of towns and cities across the island as the result or product of anything the United States has done. It would be a grievous mistake because it would show that they simply are not hearing the voices and will of the Cuban people – people deeply, deeply, deeply tired of the repression that has gone on for far too long, tired of the mismanagement of the Cuban economy, tired of the lack of adequate food, and of course, inadequate response to the COVID pandemic. That is what we are hearing and seeing in Cuba, and that is a reflection of the Cuban people, not of the United States or any other outside actor.

United States Department of State
Washington DC
12 July 2021

QUESTION: Okay. Back in 2015, July 2015 when relations were restored and President Obama said that it was – the policy of sanctions and so on was a failed policy. And then there was a great deal of hope and so on. But then the preceding administration collapsed all that hope down. But you guys seem to be following the same kind of policy as the previous administration. What are you doing, let’s say, to show people that there are actually – there are benefits to good governance and all that stuff?

MR PRICE: I certainly would not say that we are following the previous – the policy of the previous administration. As you know, our Cuba policy is under review. But importantly – and I think this is a pivotal distinction – our policy, as you heard from the Secretary, it focuses on the wellbeing of the Cuban people, and at the center of that policy are democracy and our human rights. And what we are assessing in the context of that policy review is how the United States can best support the aspirations of the Cuban people. So that policy review remains ongoing. It is something – the issue of human rights on the island is very important to us, and we’re seeing yesterday and today in the streets all throughout Cuba that it is very important, as you might expect, to the Cuban people as well. And as we undertake this review, at the center of that review will be the welfare and the wellbeing of those Cuban people.

QUESTION: That’s exactly what the previous administration said their policy was towards Cuba, right?

MR PRICE: Again, we haven’t spoken – we haven’t spoken —

QUESTION: So until your review is complete, why is Said incorrect in saying that you’re following – you’re doing the exact same thing that the Trump administration did?

MR PRICE: Well, he was speaking of our policies towards Cuba. And again, our —

QUESTION: Well, yeah. You haven’t changed the previous administration’s policies, right, so until that review is complete, you’re doing the same thing, right?

MR PRICE: Well, I can assure you that we are going about this —

QUESTION: You’re doing the same thing as the previous administration did, right? You haven’t changed the policy.

MR PRICE: We have not announced our Cuba policy, but what we have said is that democracy and human rights are at the center of it.

QUESTION: Just on that, does the administration still consider Cuba a state sponsor of terrorism?

MR PRICE: We – there’s been no change. As you know, the state sponsor of terrorism list is –it’s evaluated, and the report is released once a year. When we have a new report to release, we’ll do that.

QUESTION: So that’s part of the policy review in general of – for Cuba policy?

MR PRICE: We are always reviewing issues of state sponsorship for countries around the world pursuant to the requirement to put forward the state sponsor of terrorism list. Our review of Cuba and Cuba policy, it is taking place in parallel to that.

QUESTION: So separate, but parallel?

MR PRICE: I think that is a fair characterization.

The White House
Washington DC
12 July 2021

Q And the other matter for me is on Cuba. The President -- we saw the President's statement today about the demonstrations there on the island yesterday. Two questions on that. But why hasn't President Biden taken steps to undo some of the things that his predecessor, Donald Trump, did to overturn the overtures made by President Obama? And then, secondly, we heard there's a -- obviously, a great cry yesterday -- or during these protests for vaccines. Has Cuba -- on the list to get vaccines from the United States?

MS. PSAKI: Well, first, let me say that we have actually provided, over the course of the last several months, a great deal of assistance to Cuba. I just want to note this because I think it's important for people to understand. Since, FY- -- since 2009, which is quite some time ago, Congress has directed $20 million in democracy assistance annually. But even if you look at last year: Last year alone, the U.S. exported $176 million of goods to Cuba. In the first six months of 2021, Cuba imported $123 million worth of chicken from the United States -- just as an example. Obviously, one of the issues that the ind- -- that protesters are justifiably out there in the streets protesting about is hunger, is lack of access to vaccines, et cetera. But we are continuing to provide a range of assistance, which we will continue to do. LINK TO COMPLETE UNITED STATES EXPORT REPORT

I will say, on vaccines, one of the challenges, Jonathan, which you may be familiar with, is that Cuba has not joined COVAX and has indicated they intend to vaccinate their population using the Abdala vaccine, which they're -- the Pan American Health Organization has been out there urging Cuban scientists to publish their -- their results in the peer-reviewed literature on this vaccine.

So, in terms of -- COVAX would be a mechanism that we have provided, as you all know, vaccines to a range of countries in the world. We certainly recognize and understand that access to vaccines is one of the issues that a number of individuals in the streets is voicing concern about, but we have to determine what the mechanism would be to work with the Cuban people to get vaccines to them. That's something we're working through.

Q Jen, just to follow up on Cuba: Can you give us a sense of where the President's policy review on Cuba is right now? Do you anticipate making any changes, as Jonathan asked? And where do you see it going from here?

MS. PSAKI: Well, I will say first -- and I meant to say this in response to Jonathan -- but there's every indication that yesterday's protests were spontaneous expressions of people who are exhausted with the Cuban government's economic mismanagement and repression. And those -- these are protests inspired by the harsh reality of everyday life in Cuba, not people in another country. I'm saying that because I think there have been a range of accusations out there, as you well know, Jeff.

In terms of our assessment of a future -- our current pol- -- our policy, I should say, it continues to be -- our approach continues to be governed by two principles: First, support for democracy and human rights -- which is going to continue to be at the core of our efforts -- through empowering the Cuban people to determine their own future. Second, Americans, especially Cuban Americans, are the best ambassadors for freedom and prosperity in Cuba. I don't have anything to predict for you in terms of any policy shift. Obviously, given the protests were just happening over the last 24 to 48 hours, we're assessing how we can be helpful directly to the people of Cuba in these circumstances.

Q You hinted at this, but the President of Cuba did directly accuse the United States of basically fomenting these protests because of the embargo and that leading to a lack of medicine and the other things. Do you have a specific response to him?

MS. PSAKI: Well, I'd first say that the U.S. embargo allows humanitarian goods to reach Cuba. We exidite [sic] -- expedite any request to export humanitarian or med- -- medical supplies to Cuba. That continues to be the case.

And the United States regularly authorizes the export of agricultural products, medicine, medical equipment, and humanitarian goods to Cuba -- and, since 1992, has authorized the export of billions of dollars of those goods to Cuba. So that's simply inaccurate in terms of the facts that are stated. But, again, I would restate what I said a little bit earlier in response, which is that there's every indication that yesterday's protests were reactions of the people in Cuba to exhaustion of the governance of the -- of the leaders in the state, the economic mismanagement, and the repression that we're seeing take place against the people of the country.

Q A few months ago, when asked about Cuba policy, you said it was not a priority for the President to review U.S. policy toward Cuba. Do the events of this weekend change that?

MS. PSAKI: Well, I would say, Kelly, that we, of course, are monitoring closely. You saw the -- the statement the President -- we put out in the President's name this morning from -- in his voice, of course, conveying his support for the people of Cuba; making clear that he doesn't support the approach of the government of Cuba, which he's -- he has never held -- he has never been -- held back on.

In terms of where it ranks in a priority order, I'm not in a position to offer that, but I can tell you that we will be closely engaged. We will be looking to provide support to the people of Cuba. We certainly, you know, support the freedom of speech, the freedom of press, the freedom of -- when we believe they deserve to have access to the economic support and medical support, health supplies that many of them are asking for.

Q And, on Cuba, in this White House statement today you note the, quote, “tragic grip of the pandemic.” But under current U.S. sanctions that were put in place by the last administration but have not been changed by this administration, Cuban exiles cannot send remittances to their family that lives in Cuba. So why is the Biden administration continuing that policy?

MS. PSAKI: Well I would say, again, even under the embargo, there are a number of exemptions, I should say -- humanitarian assistance, medical supplies that we've continued to provide assistance to the people of Cuba, even with that in place. But I have nothing to preview for you in terms of a change of policy.

Q But even though the President said he was going to reverse the policy, you can't say when he plans to reverse the policy?

MS. PSAKI: Again, these protests happened yesterday, I think, or over the last two days.

Q But he made the promise in September.

MS. PSAKI: I certainly understand, Kaitlan, but there's nothing I can preview for you. But to be accurate, there are exemptions that we can send hed- -- medical supplies, we can send humanitarian supplies. That's something we've been doing for some time from the U.S. government.

Q Yeah, I just had two quick ones. So, first, on Cuba: Recently, the New York Times described the American flag as “alienating to some.” We've seen these Cuban protesters flying the American flag as a symbol for freedom. We saw it in Hong Kong as well. So, does the administration support international protesters flying the American flag? And what message do you have to Americans who are wary of flying it here in the U.S.?

MS. PSAKI: Well, I would say, first, the President certainly values and respects the -- the symbol- -- symbol of the American flag. He's someone who certainly waves it outside of his house, or does in Delaware and -- and other places where he's lived throughout his time. But he also believes that people have the right to peaceful protest, and he thinks both can be true.