U.S. President Barack Obama’s historic announcement on Wednesday that he wants to re-establish diplomatic and economic ties with Cuba — a plan that is yet to be approved by Congress — leaves many unanswered questions for U.S. foreign assistance to the long-embargoed nation.
U.S.-Cuba relations have remained virtually frozen since the early 1960s, when Washington imposed a trade embargo shortly after the triumph of the communist revolution led by Fidel Castro, whose brother Raúl now leads the Caribbean country.
Though Obama’s plan to reopen doors includes humanitarian engagement, the need for congressional approval of his plan, the historically controversial role of the U.S. Agency for International Development in Cuba, and Cuba’s current status as a state sponsor of terrorism make it unclear whether U.S. aid to Cuba country will resume anytime soon.
About the author
Claire Luke
Claire is a journalist passionate about all things development, with a particular interest in labor, having worked previously for the Indonesia-based International Labor Organization. She has experience reporting in Cambodia, Nicaragua and Burma, and is happy to be immersed in the action of D.C. Claire is a master's candidate in development economics at the George Washington Elliott School of International Affairs and received her bachelor's degree in political philosophy from the College of the Holy Cross.
