Cuba

How it Started

At the invitation of Cuban President Raúl Castro, President Carter, Mrs. Carter, and a small delegation from the Center visited Havana for three days in March 2011. President Carter called for more human rights in the country and urged U.S. officials to end the prohibition on trade. 

Our Work and Methods

While there, President Carter:

• Saw Alan Gross, a USAID contractor who was arrested in December 2010 and was serving a 15-year sentence in a Cuban prison
• Urged that Gross be granted humanitarian release
• Learned about the Cuban Five prisoners in the U.S.
• Met with several political dissidents
• Sat down with President Raúl Castro and former President Fidel Castro
• Visited with Cubans of different backgrounds, including key players in government and independent sectors, as well as leaders of Jewish and Catholic communities

Impacts

As he did in his previous visit to Cuba, President Carter used this trip to open up further dialogue, promote economic and social reforms, and explore ways to improve U.S.-Cuba relations. 

How it Started

In May 2002, President Carter – at the invitation of President Fidel Castro – was the first former or sitting U.S. president to visit Cuba since the 1959 Cuban revolution. He called on the U.S. and Cuban governments to mend relations. 

Our Work and Methods

President Carter, joined by a delegation that included former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, set out on this historic trip to: 

• Urge the U.S. to end its economic embargo against Cuba, in place since 1960
• Establish a dialogue with Castro and other government officials
• Encourage Castro to hold free elections, improve human rights, and allow greater civil liberties
• Meet with Cuban people from all walks of life

The highlight of President Carter’s work on this visit was the speech he gave at the University of Havana, in front of students, faculty, and senior government officials. His important message included calls for:

• Personal and political freedoms in the communist country
• The publication in the official newspaper of the Varela Project petition, which sought a national referendum on legislative changes to guarantee rights such as freedom of speech and assembly, free elections, and free enterprise – and had been hidden from the Cuban people by state-owned media

Impacts

After the trip, President Carter briefed members of the U.S. House and Senate, as well as President George W. Bush, on his discussions with Cuban officials. He also went on, the next year, to issue a statement about the detention of Cubans and an open letter to the National Summit on Cuba. 

This groundbreaking trip represented President Carter’s desire to open lines of communication and increase understanding, all in pursuit of improving people’s lives, promoting peace, and advancing democracy.