WOLA: U.S. and Cuban governments should center their actions on responding to the Cuban people’s needs and protecting their rights

For over 50 years, WOLA has advocated for a U.S. foreign policy in the region focused on human rights and democratic values, while denouncing human rights violations committed by governments in the region, at times committed with U.S. support and funding. Our work on Cuba has advocated for the lifting of the U.S. embargo, the protection of human rights, and the release of political prisoners, encouraged diplomatic dialogue, as well as calling for the removal of Cuba from the State Sponsor of Terrorism List. We are deeply concerned about the multiple crises currently facing the island.  

Cuba has been experiencing a deep humanitarian crisis for many years, with a profound impact on the Cuban people. The Cuban regime’s decades of failed economic policy, coupled with crippling U.S. sanctions, have increased scarcities of fuel, food, medicine, and other goods, leading the UN Secretary General to express concern about a potential humanitarian “collapse” if the situation does not change. 

This humanitarian crisis has been aggravated by recent U.S. actions. On January 29, the Trump administration issued an executive order imposing tariffs on any country that directly or indirectly sells or provides oil to the country. While in recent weeks the administration eased up, allowing U.S. companies to sell oil to the private sector in Cuba, this is a drop in the bucket compared to the country’s needs. The United Nations has warned that the island’s inability to import fuel has triggered an energy crisis.

In recent years, Cubans have responded to the worsening economic hardship and increased repression with their feet, a migration wave described by Cuban journalist Rachel Pereda as the “Walking Generation”. Over one million people have left the island since 2021. In 2025, Cubans were the third-largest group seeking asylum worldwide. 

While migration has surged among those with sufficient economic means to leave the island, the majority are now seeking protection elsewhere in Latin America or Spain, as migration to the United States is no longer a viable option. Apart from ending asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border, the Trump administration has eliminated the legal pathways opened for Cubans during the Biden administration, leaving over 500,000 Cubans in the United States at risk of detention and deportation.

Cubans remaining on the island not only face a grave humanitarian situation but also violations of many of their fundamental rights, including the rights to peaceful protest, freedom of expression, and due process.  At a March 10, 2026 hearing before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) Cuban human rights organizations, along with Amnesty International, denounced ongoing repression in the country, the death in prision of 46 protestors detained in the context of the July 11, 2021 protests due to lack of medical attention, and the selective and opaque nature of the release of over 500 prisoners at the beginning of 2025, some of whom have been forced into exile or been imprisoned again. Previously, on February 13, 2026, the IACHR Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression issued a statement condemning “the new wave of state repression in Cuba against journalists and citizens who are legitimately exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly.” According to different NGOs and their various methodologies, the number of people detained for political reasons ranges from 754 to 1,214. This is the highest number of political prisoners documented in the Americas. Following talks with the Vatican, the Cuban government announced the release of 51 prisoners in the coming days. As Cuban human rights defenders have noted, this process should be transparent and respectful of international standards, including guarantees of non-recurrence.

Amid bilateral tensions with the United States, Cuban President Díaz-Canel confirmed on March 13 that officials from both countries have held talks. On national television, he said the talks were aimed at “identifying the bilateral problems that need a solution.” The confirmation follows comments from President Trump during the last few weeks, stating that talks were being held, apart from remarks at a news conference on March 9 that there may or may not be a “friendly takeover” of Cuba. 

While the path forward between the two governments remains unclear, the Cuban people continue to bear the brunt of their policies and decisions. Responding to their needs and respecting their rights should be at the center of both governments’ actions.  

Cubans should be able to exercise their rights freely, including their rights to political participation, and the Cuban government’s policies of repression and censorship should stop. At the same time, U.S. policy towards Cuba, focused on coercive measures such as the embargo and other sanctions, is outdated and has failed to produce U.S. policy goals, while causing severe harm. As the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed  regarding the recent U.S. oil restrictions, “Policy goals cannot justify actions that in themselves violate human rights.”

It is the Cuban people, with the concerted support of the international community, who should determine their future and be a core part of any bilateral discussions. WOLA remains committed to promoting the protection and guarantee of human rights of all Cubans and to a U.S. foreign policy based on democratic principles, not punitive measures, as the best way to advance political reform in Cuba.