[Earlier in March, CODEPINK and Puentes de Amor delivered 5000 pounds of milk to the provinces of Camagüey and Ciego de Ávila in Cuba. Photo by CODEPINK/Puentes de amor]

By: Michelle Ellner

Delivering her speech on International Women’s Day in 2021 during her first year as the nation’s first female vice president, Kamala Harris said, “If we build a world that works for women, our nations will all be safer, stronger, and more prosperous.” If Harris is committed to building a world that works for women, why has the Biden-Harris administration continued to build a world that works against Cuban women?

The US embargo on Cuba, with its myriad restrictions and penalties, significantly affects key aspects of Cuban life. They particularly affect women, who, in addition to their roles in the workforce, shoulder the bulk of domestic work and childcare responsibilities. The severe US unilateral restrictions force Cuban women to spend considerable time trying to find scarce essential resources, such as food and medicine. This multifaceted workload effectively amounts to women juggling four jobs simultaneously.

In the final days of Trump’s administration, he increased the pressure on Cuba by adding Cuba to the State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSOT) List. The SSOT designation has resulted in severe restrictions on Cuba’s ability to receive foreign aid and carry out financial transactions. The rationale for the measure was Cuba’s alleged support for Colombian insurgents, even though Cuba received these insurgents not to promote any terrorist action but rather to support peace negotiations. Linking Cuba to terrorism is something that Colombian President Gustavo Petro has qualified as an “injustice,” and he publicly expressed his objection during his first meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Trump’s move was largely political, aimed at pleasing right-wing Cuban-Americans in Miami, and elsewhere, for electoral gains. Indeed, when asked about the Latino vote, Trump responded in an interview that he would do well thanks to his government’s tough stance on Cuba.

Despite promising to follow Obama’s diplomatic path by making a clear break with Trump’s policies, Biden has continued Trump’s stance of maximum pressure. The Biden administration’s acceptance of Trump’s harsh policies disregards the suffering in Cuba, particularly that of Cuban women. The psychological and physical toll on Cuban women, who must navigate these challenges while caring for children, the elderly, and sometimes ailing family members, is devastating. 

Traditionally, vulnerable groups in Cuba relied on state subsidies for essentials like powdered milk, rice and beans, but Trump’s decision to include Cuba on the SSOT list has had profound repercussions on Cuba’s ability to produce and procure essential goods.

One of the objectives behind the embargo is to impede Cuba’s industrialization processes. By limiting access to vital resources like advanced equipment, machinery, and modern farming technologies crucial for dairy production, the embargo significantly impedes Cuba’s ability to modernize industries, including its dairy sector. This restriction results in inefficiencies in the industry, stunting its growth potential. Consequently, Cuba finds itself heavily reliant on imports to meet the domestic demand for milk, but the inclusion on the list makes international banks wary of facilitating any transactions with Cuba, fearing repercussions from the US government.

The political weaponization of the SSOT list is setting a dangerous precedent, enabling right-wing Republicans to advocate for the inclusion of any country that sets out to have a sovereign foreign policy that does not align with Washington’s dictates. For instance, as Venezuela grapples with the harsh repercussions of sanctions for breaking away from the US sphere of influence, Senator Marco Rubio is persistently pushing to designate the country a “sponsor of terror,” as well. The SSOT list is not a tool for fighting terrorism, but a weapon used for political coercion and regime change.

Although the US has failed to achieve the intended regime change objectives in countries like Cuba or Venezuela, the economic effects of these measures serve as a compelling illustration of the alleged failures of socialism. By highlighting the economic deprivation endured by the Cuban people, proponents of capitalism bolster their argument for the superiority of free-market principles.

This narrative is strategically employed to thwart any introspection or critique of the American capitalist model among the American public. In reality, Cuba’s economic struggles are largely caused by US sanctions. Meanwhile, in the US, homelessness is more widespread than ever, millions lack access to healthcare, and the maternal mortality rate is the highest in the developed world.

On March 4, for the first time in the history of the revolution, Cuba requested assistance from the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) for the purchase of powdered milk, in order to guarantee supplies to Cuban children. Predictably, mainstream media outlets seized upon this development to frame it as evidence of the failure of the social experiment initiated by the late guerrilla leader-turned dictator, Fidel Castro,” as observed by Andres Oppenheimer in the Miami Herald.

Dr. Jill Biden’s visit to Cuba near the end of the Obama administration symbolized hope for a continued diplomatic engagement and an understanding between the two nations. Unfortunately for the Cuban people, the gains of the Obama era have now been largely reversed by Trump and Biden. At the same time, while Vice President Kamala Harris has been focusing on curbing immigration, sanctions are one of the main drivers of migration from countries like Cuba and Venezuela.

A reconsideration of US policy toward Cuba, in favor of engagement over isolation, would alleviate the suffering of Cuban families. It’s high time for women Democratic leaders to step forward and help reverse Trump’s harmful policies by speaking out for a return to the Obama-era approach to Cuba.

So here’s a message for Vice President Harris: Taking Cuba off the SSOT list is vital to creating a world that truly works for women, as it would alleviate the disproportionate economic burden on them and strengthen their ability to thrive.

Michelle Ellner is a Latin America campaign coordinator of CODEPINK