Signatories of the open letter include two dozen Cuban-American groups, as well as academics, business owners, executives and investors, lawyers, architects, doctors, scientists, educators, artists, musicians, filmmakers, social workers, former federal, state and local officials, among others.
“We are extremely disappointed and dismayed by your inaction, lack of courage and sensitivity to undo the drastic and unfounded executive measures imposed by your predecessor (Donald Trump) (…) Your campaign promise to undo the havoc caused by the previous administration to families “was one of the main factors why many of us supported you,” says the open letter, which was published by ACERE, a coalition of organizations against the blockade of Cuba and in favor of the normalization of relations.
Recent polls report that out of nearly 1.5 million Cuban-American voters, more than half are in favor of normalization with Cuba, while support among Democratic and younger voters is overwhelming.
The signatories warned President Biden that he will inevitably have to address the issue of his administration’s policy toward Cuba and in that case, he will have two options: “a new policy of compromise with Cuba, or continue with the same failed policy of most of the last 60 years, as you did during your first term. Only if you choose the former will you continue to win a considerable proportion of the vote of our community, for whom this is a decisive and urgent issue.”
“Beyond the Cuban-American community, we reflect the opinions of a large majority of the American people, who support normalization with Cuba; and an eventual end to the embargo (blockade), which has caused so much unnecessary suffering to the Cuban and American people. (…) We need your courage to implement what the majority of the Cuban-American community and the overwhelming majority of US and world citizens believe is the right thing to do,” the petition concluded.
The letter was signed by former Deputy Chairman of the Hispanic Caucus of the Democratic National Committee, Jorge Quintana; president of the University of Washington, Ana Mari Cauce; founder and former executive director of the Center for Democracy in the Americas, Sarah Stephens; six-time Grammy Award-winning musician and composer Arturo O’Farrill; Hollywood executive and Democratic National Committee Finance Committee member Andy Spahn; Vice President of the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, Stuart Ashman; former National Intelligence Officer for Latin America Fulton Armstrong; and Busboys and Poets founder and CEO Andy Shallal, among others.
jrr/llp/jha/dfm
