Democracy program changes

The U.S. government’s Cuba democracy grants will be shifted away from Miami-based groups and toward Washington organizations such as the National Endowment for Democracy and the International Republican Institute, according to a story in the current issue of CubaNews.

With CubaNews’ kind permission, here’s a pdf of the article by reporter Ana Radelat.

The point of the shift, a State Department spokeswoman says, is to “give the money to organizations that can best address the needs on the ground.” A prominent Miami grantee, the Grupo de Apoyo a la Democracia, is debating whether to re-apply for additional funds.

A shift to the NED and IRI would not necessarily cut Miami organizations out of the picture, because NED and IRI are grantmakers themselves, and have worked with groups in Miami such as the Directorio. It seems that the decision will ensure that the grantmaking is done from the perspective of people who work all around the world, not just in Cuba.

The article also includes debate about the form of aid given to dissidents. Direct cash aid to dissidents is not barred by law, but it has not been allowed because of a decision by USAID that was taken during the Clinton Administration. That decision has stood all through the Bush Administration, in spite of complaints that cash is the most effective aid.

My thanks to CubaNews for permission to link to this article. For more about this fine monthly, check out the website where back issues are posted, along with subscription information.