CUBA | World's Churches want Biden to end to blocade of Cuban people

HAVANA, Cuba, October 27, 2021 - A wide cross-section of the world’s church leaders have called on US President Joe Biden to put an end to the White House blockade against the Cuban people, the longest measure of its kind unilaterally imposed on any country or government.

The letter dated October 15 and written by The World Council of Churches, the powerful ACT Alianza, the Council of Churches of Cuba and other religious groups, said  "After almost 60 years of embargo on the country, the question that must be asked is whether this continuous embargo is worth it."

They recalled how the Obama administration "sought to rethink policy and seek a new commitment to Cuba, relaxing sanctions, allowing direct flights between the two countries, and easing restrictions on US citizens traveling and doing business in Cuba."

The churches stressed that former President Donald Trump reversed the strategy of President Obama, when "he put Cuba back on the United States list of state sponsors of international terrorism, cut travel between Cuba and the United States and prohibited US citizens and residents from sending remittances to their relatives in Cuba, cutting off an important economic livelihood for many Cubans.

In a letter that invoked Christian compassion, reminded  that “there is a time to tear down and a time to build. There is a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” 

The religious leaders called for a bold decision to be made to put  an end to the embargo against the Cuban people: 

"We are aware that there are very important political pressures and obstacles to this course of action," they acknowledged, however, they proposed a series of measures:

1. Eliminate Cuba from the list of countries sponsors of terrorism. We see no real public evidence to believe that Cuba has the will, the means, and the ability to sponsor global terrorism.
2. Suspend once again the application of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, which was suspended for a long period and was reactivated by former President Donald Trump on May 2, 2019.
3. Reinstate the category of travel "from people to people" for educational exchange, using this general license to maintain a full-time schedule of educational and cultural exchange activities aimed at improving contact with the Cuban people.
4. Eliminate the ban on traveling on cruise ships and reinstate regular airline flights to all Cuban cities.
5. Suspend the State Department's List of Prohibited Accommodations in Cuba, allowing US citizens to use the hotels and rental houses they want.
6. Eliminate the ceiling of USD 1,000 per quarter for family remittances that a sender can send to a Cuban citizen.
7. Reactivation of non-family remittances from third countries through Western Union and companies such as Fincimex and AIS.
8. Suspend the List of Restricted Entities and Sub-Entities Associated with Cuba.
9. Reactivation of the United States Embassy in Havana, including its consular services.
10. Suspension of visa application requirements in third countries and granting of visas –annual– by virtue of immigration agreements.
11. Reactivate scientific exchanges in biotechnology, health and other areas of science.

The world’s church leaders emphasized that "We firmly believe that there are other ways of interacting with the Cuban authorities to discuss and overcome disagreements on issues and legacies, without affecting people who want to live with human dignity." 

The letter concluded with the request for Biden to consider the difficult situation and work to overcome the political obstacles to solidarity and justice.

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