MIAMI, FL (April 19, 2018) – CubaOne Foundation, the Miami-based nonprofit with over 7,000 members that connects young Cuban Americans with their families, peers, and heritage in Cuba, issued the following statement today:
We hope today’s succession creates an opportunity for Cuba to move beyond the ideologies of the past and chart a new course. The Cuban people, especially the youth, are hungry for change. They want to be able to start and grow their own businesses; work at jobs that allow them to provide for their families; enjoy a full spectrum of political and economic freedoms; and not have to leave their country to pursue their aspirations. There is no U.S. policy preventing Cuba from helping its people live with dignity and achieve their dreams in Cuba.
Cuba is responsible for deciding its fate, but we believe the United States can play a positive role through engagement. In the 10 months since President Trump announced his Cuba policy in Miami, we have yet to see any progress on the island. Rhetoric, without engagement, is no recipe for change; it is a failed formula for the status-quo that invites bad actors to expand their influence just 90 miles off our shores.
We echo the calls of Cuba’s civil society leaders, the Cuban people, and our community by urging the Trump Administration to begin re-staffing the U.S. Embassy in Havana. Its vacancy is compounding hardship for Cuban and American families, isolates the United States, and limits our country’s ability to promote its values during this critical moment.
Our policies must be forward-looking because the future of Cuba ultimately belongs to millions of people, not any one politician. As the Castro era comes to an end, a new generation–on both shores–is faced with the task of addressing the island’s multitude of challenges and writing a new chapter in our shared history. We should make this journey together.
