Washington Office on Latin America
Independent Americas research and advocacy group focused on human rights, democracy and justice.
On 30 September 2026, WOLA said the new ban on US bank accounts for Cuban private entrepreneurs reversed the opening granted in 2024, sharpening its case for engagement over broad economic isolation.
Last refreshed: 22 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why does WOLA say sanctions on peso-paid Cuban officials have limited bite?
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The Washington Office on Latin America, usually called WOLA, is an Independent non-governmental research and advocacy organisation founded in 1974. It works across the Americas on human rights, democracy and justice. Foundations and individual donors fund the organisation, which is based in Washington DC.
WOLA began by connecting policymakers in Washington with people who had first-hand knowledge of human-rights abuses under Latin American dictatorships. Its model still combines regional relationships, research and policy advocacy. It works with human-rights defenders, social-justice advocates and civil-society organisations, then brings their concerns into discussions with US and international policymakers. Its priority areas include inclusive democracy, security rooted in justice, and the effects of climate change, gender inequality and migration. This places WOLA between field-based civil society and the institutions that set policy.
Banking curbs widen sanctions costs
On 4 June 2026, WOLA's analysis of sanctions on peso-paid Cuban officials focused on coercive reach. Dollar-asset freezes have little direct financial effect on people whose income and spending remain in Cuban pesos, although a designation still carries political weight. That distinction shaped its reading of the new blacklist entries.
On 30 September, the target shifted towards private business. WOLA and the Cuba Study Group described the ban on US accounts for Cuban entrepreneurs as a reversal of the 2024 opening. From WOLA's vantage, the rule pushes private payments back towards Cuban state banks or informal couriers, widening the cost beyond sanctioned officials.
Reference
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Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 22 October 2026. Editorial standards.