A growing collaboration between nations is required. We live in a globalized world… we all depend on everyone! – Nayvis Díaz Labaut of VeloCuba

Dear Friends,

For many foreigners, a first visit to Cuba cracks open a shocking new awareness of global interdependence. The daily challenges of operating under a global embargo are a poignant reminder of how important the international movement of goods, knowledge and people are to our contemporary societies.

For the past six decades, even while emphasizing the importance of strong domestic infrastructures, the Cuban government has also realized the necessity and value of strong international relationships. And while the island has been part of many political, economic and solidarity-based collaborations, they have all been complicated by the implications of the U.S. embargo.

The election of Joe Biden as president of the United States has prompted many to speculate what this will mean for Cuba. During Donald Trump’s four years in office, his administration took aim at the island, rolling back legal travel between the two countries, curtailing remittances, and strong-arming other nations into limiting their dealings with both Cuba and Cubans. 

During his campaign, Joe Biden and his team indicated he would reverse Trump's policy and resume President Barack Obama’s policy of normalization of the relations between the two countries. Considering the many competing priorities that Biden will face when he takes office, it is difficult to predict how soon he will turn his attention to Cuba. When he does, Cuba will have to decide whether and how to engage with a government that has proven inconsistent and difficult to trust. Though there is clearly still a long path ahead, today we highlight five reasons why this work is worth it – not only for Cuban and American citizens, but for the global pursuit of more caring and flourishing societies (Continue scrolling for COVID19 numbers and for weekend virtual event opportunities)

Take Care – Sarah, Justine, Mariakarla
 

1. International Solidarity During Medical Emergencies

Cuba has built an infrastructure for rapid response to international medical emergencies – and with the highest per capita ratio of doctors to citizens in the world, it is uniquely positioned to do so. As highlighted in Belly of the Beast’s War on Cuba, the Trump administration has pressured Latin American governments to pull out of agreements with Cuba. Nonetheless, Cuba has continued its international engagement, just last week sending over 100 healthcare professionals to Azerbaijan to fight COVID19. A number of notable international figures have nominated Cuba’s international Henry Reeve medical brigades for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. 

2. Collaboration on Novel Pharmaceuticals 

A roll-back of U.S. sanctions on Cuba could allow for the more rapid production and distribution of the pharmaceutical products necessary to combat the COVID19 pandemic. Itolizumab, a monoclonal antibody developed by the Cuban Center for Molecular Immunology, in collaboration with an Indian company, has already received authorization to begin phase III clinical trials in coronavirus patients in the USA, Mexico, and Brazil. Cuba also has two promising vaccine candidates in trial, which Cuba’s representative to the Pan American Health Organization told Reuters “could be very important for certain vulnerable groups in our region,” including the elderly and remote indigenous communities. 

3. Aging with Dignity and Equity for Caregivers

The world is experiencing an unprecedented demographic shift and Cuba – where the low birth rate and long life expectancy has caused it to become the most rapidly aging population in the western hemisphere – is at the front of the curve. Already, a partnership between Cuban researchers and the University of California San Francisco has led to new resources for Latin American and Spanish-speaking families caring for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. Expanded international dialogue and collaboration could lead to new roadmaps for a caring economy.

4. Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security

As Cuba has struggled under the embargo to achieve food security, the country has also developed a cadre of experienced agronomists and agroecologists. After the country’s Special Period in the 1990s, “the island rapidly re-oriented its agriculture to depend less on imported synthetic chemical inputs, and became a world-class case of ecological agriculture.” In 2016, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the U.S. and Cuba to conduct authorized research and information exchange activities with Cuba. A reversal of sanctions could open new opportunity for knowledge exchange around sustainable agriculture. 

5. Climate Change 

Cuba has recognized climate change in its constitution and developed a cross-ministry national plan for confronting it. The island is also recognized by UNESCO for its willingness to engage in international collaboration and as a Caribbean nation it not only has relevant experiences to share with its American neighbors but those of island societies across the world. In 2015, the U.S. and Cuba reached an agreement to map marine life in protected areas in the Florida Straits and Gulf of Mexico and compile an inventory of shared species, a project which will offer crucial information to conservationists.