Question For Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States, About Cuba’s Cuentapropistas And MSME’s… 22 March 2016 Seems So Long Ago.

Preface

In a press statement on the Republic of Cuba’s Independence Day, directed to the 11.3 million citizens of the 800-mile-long archipelago, The Honorable Antony Blinken, United States Secretary of State (who in the Obama-Biden Administration (2009-2017) served as Deputy Secretary of State from 2015-2017 and Deputy National Security Advisor from 2013-2015), expressed United States support for Republic of Cuba entrepreneurs: “The United States recommits to accompanying the Cuban people in your quest to determine your own future. We will support those improving the lives of families and workers, cuentapropistas who have forged their own economic paths, and all who are building a better Cuba- and a better tomorrow for themselves in Cuba.”

Secretary of State Blinken was, in his remarks, reiterating the bipartisan conviction of every United States president from Obama-to-Trump-to-Biden that the United States should “support the development of private business and [the] operation of economic activity in the non-state sector by self-employed individuals,” as that language is codified at 31 CFR § 515.570(g)(3).

Such a position would accord with the Biden-Harris Administration’s reiteration of support for cuentapropistas, as articulated by Secretary Blinken on 20 May 2021, and previously espoused by then-United States President Barack Obama (when now President Biden was then Vice President Biden) when he said in the Gran Teatro de la Habana on 22 March 2016: “In a global economy, powered by ideas and information, a country's greatest asset is its people. In the United States, we have a clear monument to what the Cuban people can build: it’s called Miami. Here in Havana, we see that same talent in cuentapropistas...And in recent years, the Cuban government has begun to open up to the world, and to open up more space for that talent to thrive. In just a few years, we’ve seen how cuentapropistas can succeed while sustaining a distinctly Cuban spirit.”

Question For President Obama

Why would (should) the Biden-Harris Administration (2021- ) make changes to its policies and regulations; reverse or revise Trump-Pence Administration (2017-2021) policies and regulations; and resurrect, reverse, or revise Obama-Biden Administration (2009-2017) policies and regulations relating to the self-employed and to owners of micro, small, and medium-size enterprises (MSME’s) in the Republic of Cuba when viewing the following landscape?

Given in the 117th United States Congress the evenly-divided membership in the United States Senate and the five-member margin for the Democratic Party in the United States House of Representatives impacted the Biden-Harris Administration legislative and regulatory agendas and personnel selection process in 2021 and will impact this year through Election Day on Tuesday, 8 November 2022; and impact further if the Democratic Party loses control of the 118th United States Congress (3 January 2023 to 3 January 2025) and passes legislation from November 2022 to January 2022 during a “lame duck session” that President Joseph Biden signs into law;

Given the unknown results of the 8 November 2022 contests for membership in the 118th United States Congress (3 January 2023 to 3 January 2025) and for state offices (governors and legislatures);

Given the federal, state, and local office election results in the State of Florida in 2016;

Given the federal, state, and local office election results in the State of Florida in 2018;

Given the federal, state, and local office election results in the State of Florida in 2020;

Given the 2020 Census result adds one seat in the United States House of Representatives to the State of Florida which will be contested in 2022;

Given the anticipated challenges impacting Democratic Party federal, state, and local office candidates in the State of Florida in 2022;

Given the anticipated challenges impacting Democratic Party federal, state, and local office candidates in the State of Florida in 2024.

Given the statements on 27 April 2020 to CBS News (Miami, Florida) by Joseph Biden, then candidate for the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party: “Yes, I would. In large part, I would go back,” Biden said. “I’d still insist they keep the commitments they said they would make when we, in fact, set the policy in place… Wouldn’t he be rewarding Cuba at a time when they are supporting and propping up Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela? “Well, they’re having great difficulty propping up Maduro,” he said. “Number one, Maduro is in real trouble. Number two, there’s no reason why we cannot still sanction them, but failing to recognize them at all is a different thing than sanctioning them.” He said engaging with Cuba isn’t just about Cuba, it also strengthens the United States’ hand throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.”

Given the statements on 18 July 2020 to The Washington Post by Joseph Biden, then candidate for the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party: “I have no illusions about the situation in Cuba, and it’s deeply concerning that the Cuban government continues to assert strong political and economic control while failing to respect press freedom and the freedom of assembly,”… “But Cuba is not represented solely by its leadership. There are many different sectors that we can and should work with to support progress in Cuba- including entrepreneurs, religious groups, universities, young people and human rights defenders.”

Given changes to the commercial (expansive), economic (expansive), and political (constrained) infrastructures within the Republic of Cuba in 2021;

Given there remain consistent inconsistencies rather than collective engagement by countries allied with the United States and those distant from the United States with their commercial, economic, and political cooperation for United States statutes, policies, and regulations impacting the Republic of Cuba. The Republic of Cuba’s primary benefactors continue to be China, Iran, Russia, Turkey, and Venezuela;

Given the Biden-Harris Administration has not changed policies and regulations impacting the Republic of Cuba implemented during the Trump-Pence Administration which were reversals primarily of policies and regulations implemented during the Obama-Biden Administration;

And Given the Biden-Harris Administration has implemented new policies and regulations impacting the Republic of Cuba.

LINK TO COMPLETE ANALYSIS IN PDF FORMAT

LINKS To Self-Employed, Micro, Small & Medium-Size Enterprise (MSME) Analyses

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