On his first day in office, President Donald Trump reinstated Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, reversing an executive order issued by former President Joe Biden a week earlier.  Trump's reversal is in alignment with his administration's hardline stance on Cuba and is supported by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has long advocated for sanctions against the island nation. 

This means of enforcing the economic blockade, its reinforcement and the new aggressive measures will continue to have severely harmful effects on Cuba’s economy, the standard of living, the potential for development and the legitimate dreams of justice and well-being of the Cuban people, as has been the case in recent years.

Join the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), Latin America Working Group (LAWG), and Friends of Latin America for the rare opportunity to participate in an in-person dialogue with a high-level Cuban official, Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío, moderated by IPS Board member James Early. Deputy Minister Fernández de Cossío heads the US General Department in the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Hear his insights on the current state of US-Cuba relations, future scenarios and Cuba's positions on current US policies.

This will be a hybrid event with the option for in-person or Zoom participation. NOTE: An RSVP with photo ID will be required to be admitted into this event in-person.