Global Health G Subcommittee on Africa

The Castro Regime's Ongoing Violations of Civil and Political Rights Global Health G Subcommittee on Africa

Since President Obama announced a major change in United States policy toward Cuba, little has changed for the people of Cuba, particularly those espousing fundamental human rights. The President reestablished diplomatic relations with Cuba, removed the designation of Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, increasing travel and commerce. The state of the civil and political rights in the Castro brothers' Cuba is still troubling, despite all the promises by the administration that an opening to Cuba would lead to greater opening domestically for the Cuban people. We still see political repression, including repression directed at the Afro-Cuban population in particular. When President Obama made his visit to Cuba, he and Raul Castro appeared in a photo opportunity press conference. CNN's Jim Acosta asked the hard question about Cuba's political prisoners. Raul Castro denied that there were any political prisoners in Cuba. "Give me the list of the political prisoners and I will release them immediately," Castro said. President Obama did not present him with a list.