U.S. Election 2024: What does it mean for Cuba?

Tomorrow, U.S. citizens will head to the polls to choose the next president of the United States.

“I am actually voting for Harris,” says a man.

“FOUR MORE YEARS! Woo! 47!” says a woman.

“This is the most exciting election in my lifetime,” says a man.

As a Cuban, I might use the word depressing to talk about these elections.

When Donald Trump was president, he launched an unprecedented economic war on Cuba and destroyed our economy.

We went outside of the Trump rally in New York last week, and his supporters seemed to be completely unaware of this.

“I don’t know much about Cuba. I know they’re trying to come over here so it must be worse there,” says a man.

“I don’t even know his policy on Cuba,” says another man.

“Whatever’s going on in Cuba, I don’t even know. Too much stuff around here that’s really out of control. If he has something to do with Cuba, I’m sure he’ll do a good job,” another man says.

“There just needs to be fair trade, free and fair trade,” a woman says.

“Well there’s currently sanctions in place, so there’s not trade,” the reporter says.

“Than lifting those sanctions and trading fairly,” she says.

Did things change with Biden? Not at all.

There’s been almost no difference between Biden's policy toward Cuba and Trump's.

“It’s not obvious to me that the marginally harsher policy of the Republicans or the marginally less harsh policy of the Democrats have actually had any effect at all over the last 60 years except to immiserate the Cuban people,” a man says. “I don’t love the Cuban government, but this policy ain’t working.”

Last week at the UN, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez explained the impact of U.S. sanctions on the Cuban people.

“Cuba is capable of producing close to 60% of its basic medicines,” Rodriguez says. “This potential has not been guaranteed in recent years due to the extreme intensification of measures against our country that have cost lives, increased infant mortality and reduced the life expectancy of Cubans.”

No matter who wins, Biden is still president until January.

Nine days before Trump left office he put Cuba on the “State Sponsors of Terrorism List,” which has devastated our economy.

Many people are calling on Biden to do the opposite and use his final days as president to lift the sanctions.

“I'm here to support, the different solidarity movements that we have here in New York City that have been working for a long time in the struggle in solidarity with Cuba, calling to end the blockade, and, of course, now calling for Biden in these last few months that he has left to, take Cuba off the state sponsors of terrorism list,” a woman says.

Harris was against the embargo when she was a senator.

But her campaign recently suggested she would maintain sanctions on Cuba if elected.

Whatever happens, in Cuba we keep our expectations low about the future…

“They’ve all been the same. Both parties are the same,” a man says.

“Life has taught me that neither of them will bring anything good for us,” a woman says.

“I don't think anything is going to change,” a man says.

“Lifting the U.S. embargo against Cuba? Forget it. That will never happen,” a woman says.

“I think their Cuba policy would be the same,” a man says. “It’s always the same.”

“The U.S. needs to stop harassing us, stop tightening the screws, or else, what will happen to us?” a man says.