Thirty-three members of the United States House of Representatives sent a letter to the U.S. government demanding that it abandon any plans for military action against Cuba, lift coercive measures, and stop using the Guantánamo Naval Base as a migrant detention center.
The letter, led by Illinois Democratic Congresswoman Delia Ramírez, states that the economic blockade, in place for nearly 65 years, along with the tightening of sanctions, has deepened the economic and social crisis on the island. It also rejects the possible use of Guantánamo to detain Cuban migrants in the event of an increase in migration flows. In addition, it warns against threats of possible military action against Cuba, describing it as “illegal, deeply destabilizing, and catastrophic for the Cuban population.”
In their letter, the lawmakers also stated that any intervention would increase displacement, worsen humanitarian suffering, and harm U.S. interests in the region.
The letter concludes by stating that the United States “must not respond to a crisis it helping to create with policies that deepen suffering,” and calls for the permanent closure of “the black hole of violence and torture that Guantánamo has become.”