The United States has pursued a tough sanctions policy against Cuba for decades, interrupted only by a brief thaw during the second Obama administration. The sanctions policy is highly unpopular in Latin America, and indeed the world — it has been voted down in multiple UN resolutions. However, the communist government in Havana remains in power, there is no end in sight to the suffering of the Cuban people, and waves of refugees from the island nation have roiled U.S. domestic politics. The second Trump administration recently released its own Cuba policy; meanwhile, China and Russia are fishing in troubled waters, looking to deepen their ties with Cuba.
Can we get to a more pragmatic Cuba policy that accounts for the vital interests of the United States, which include regional stability in Latin America and the Caribbean? How can we address the severe humanitarian crisis that has been triggered by the U.S. sanctions policy? What are the realistic steps to achieve a balance in the current environment in Washington?
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