In a letter sent to Bob Menendez, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, LCA attributed all hardships faced by the Cuban people to the unilateral blockade and all measures imposed.

Cumulative effect of actions taken by our government results in the collective suffering of all Cubans: this is neither moral nor justified.

The letter detailed a series of restrictions that seek to stifle Cuba’s economy including its inclusion in the list of states sponsoring terrorism, obstacles to access energy resources, and the over 240 measures issued under former President Donald Trump´s administration. At the moment, the organization’s Florida-Bahamas Synod is working with partners from the Norwegian church to send a container of medical supplies to Havana, but the New York bank has funds frozen and requires a license from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control.

The only restrictions on our work come from our own government, the letter read, while adding that Cuba is not a state sponsor of terrorism but contributes to securing peace, referring to its role as guarantor in talks between the Colombian government and the country’s guerrilla groups. Cuba also supports all international agreements to fight off terrorism, cooperates with the U.S. military in drug interdiction, as well as in other areas, the letter said.

The document called for Menendez to reverse current punitive economic and international policies towards Cuba and initiate a path toward normalization of diplomatic relations.

pll/jcm/ifs