A number of global solidarity organizations including the São Paulo Forum, International Peoples' Assembly, World March of Women, International Peasants' Movement and the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas have launched the "Let Cuba Live!" calling on US President Joe Biden to remove the socialist country from its absurd inclusion on the arbitrary state sponsors of terrorism list.
In November, 2022 for the 30th year in a row the United Nations overwhelmingly voted to call for an end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo, imposed by the USA against Cuba.
The vote was a staggering 185 in favour with only the United States and Israel voting against. There were 2 abstentions, Ukraine and Brazil.
The Let Cuba Live! campaign seeks to gather a million signatures to present to Biden in December on Human Rights Day.
The organizers note: "Today Cuba faces a blockade whose sole purpose is to force it’s people into submission; a blockade that is using new tools like the State Sponsors of Terrorism list to increase its strength and reach."
But they "believe that international pressure and knowledge of the true consequences can put an end to these measures."
Their full letter reads:
For more than 60 years, the US government has pursued a hostile policy against Cuba with the clear political intent to to isolate the Cuban people through a cruel and inhumane blockade. In the midst of the pandemic, the Trump administration sought to further damage the Cuban economy not only by reinforcing the blockade with 243 new sanctions, but also by including Cuba on the of State Sponsors of Terrorism list. This designation has prevented Cuba from doing transactions using international banking systems and from acquiring necessary goods on the international market, such as fuel, food, construction supplies, hygiene products, and medicine.
For these reasons, we urgently demand that the US government remove Cuba from this list. We ask the current President of the United States: Mr. Biden, why do you continue to support this nefarious Trump-era policy? Do you really believe that Cuba is a state sponsor of terrorism?
In reality, what Cuba has sponsored is international solidarity. Cuba saved thousands of lives during the pandemic with medical brigades in more than 50 countries in the world; it is committed to supporting peace processes and opened its doors to peacefully resolve armed conflicts; it has fought illiteracy, by sharing its literacy method with the world; it is the same country that, during the pandemic, produced three vaccines against COVID-19 to protect its population, and historically it has allocated resources to strengthen solidarity and internationalism with the peoples of the world.
We believe that international pressure and knowledge of the true consequences can put an end to these measures. Furthermore, we agree with the 185 countries at the United Nations General Assembly who rejected the US blockade against Cuba in 2022 as well as in previous years. We therefore make a global call to social organizations and leaders, popular movements, faith-based movements, artists, athletes, journalists, peace associations, and those in defense of human rights and equality among all people, to sign this letter.
We want to reach more than one million signatures to demand that the current US government remove Cuba from the state sponsors of terrorism list and for the unconditional elimination of the blockade, which is rejected by the entire international community.
Neither the blockade nor any other such measure will succeed in defeating the sovereignty and self-determination of the Cuban people. Cuba’s strength and humanism are a testimony to the achievements of its social project, and Cuba continues to be a point of reference for the peoples of the world who fight for peace and justice.
Cuba is not alone; the world stands with its people!
Cuba yes, Blockade no!
To sign the petition and learn what other steps you can take see: Let Cuba Live