U.S. Congressmen urged President Joe Biden to immediately ease sanctions against Cuba and remove the country's designation as a sponsor of terrorism.
Sensitive to the situation in Cuba - aggravated by the blockade of more than six decades - Barbara Lee, Jim McGovern, Gregory Meeks, and Joaquín Castro, members of the House of Representatives, headed a letter to the President in which they asked him to adopt a change of policy towards the island.
According to the letter, published on Lee's official website, the legislators urge “immediate relief from sanctions on the Cuban people” who are suffering “widespread power outages and an escalating energy crisis, exacerbated by the impact of Hurricane Rafael”.
The congressmen requested that Biden remove Cuba's arbitrary designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, as well as expedite emergency humanitarian aid and technical assistance.
In addition, he “issue safe harbor letters to address excessive sanctions enforcement, suspend sanctions that impede aid, and facilitate the repair and modernization of energy infrastructure.”
“Even temporary relief can save lives and allow the Cuban people the opportunity to protect themselves and their families from further vulnerability. We urge your administration to act swiftly to implement these measures,” they concluded.
Last October 20, McGovern stated in his account on the social network X that his country's current policy directly contributed to Cuba's energy problems by sanctioning ships transporting oil to Cuba and depriving the Caribbean nation of the foreign currency income it needs to import fuel and spare parts.
A representative for Massachusetts, McGovern is one of the most active members of Congress in the fight for a change of policy towards Cuba, he stressed that the assistance would allow “restoring the electrical grid and dealing with the shortage of food and medicine that is impoverishing the Cuban people and provoking an unprecedented migration to the United States”.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez has expressed that his country appreciates “the voices denouncing the U.S. blockade, the main cause of the limitations and damages suffered by our people”.