With less than two months left in his term, the initiative, promoted by the Legislative Committee of the Cuba Sí NY/NJ Coalition, the National Network on Cuba, the Alliance for Commitment and Respect for Cuba (Acere) and DSA Cuba Solidarity, urges the Democratic leader ‘to take immediate action’.

“As elected representatives, unions and members of the Cuba solidarity movement, we invite you to join this important letter calling on President Biden to take immediate action to remove Cuba from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSOT),” the text stresses.

The missive also asks him to ‘reverse the harmful restrictions imposed by the (first) Trump administration (2017-2021)’.

This action – it said – will help restore diplomatic progress, alleviate the suffering of ordinary Cubans and create opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation between the United States and Cuba.

“As we approach a second Trump administration, the urgency of this call cannot be overstated,” the letter added, insisting that a prospect of renewed hard-line stance toward the Caribbean nation could ensue.

In that sense, the message warned that all this would mean ‘further tightening restrictions, deepening the suffering of the Cuban people and closing the doors to diplomatic engagement’.

Now more than ever, it is essential that President Biden act swiftly to ensure a path toward peace and cooperation, he emphasized.

“By removing Cuba from the SSOT list and reversing Trump-era restrictions, we can pave the way for a more stable and humane relationship, as well as provide the Cuban people with a meaningful path to recovery and resilience after various natural disasters.”

Last November 19, a group of congressional Democrats encouraged Biden to offer immediate relief from sanctions against Cuba and to remove that country’s designation as a sponsor of terrorism.

Aware of 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, also headed a letter to the President in which they asked him to take a different approach in his policy towards the island.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez has repeatedly expressed that his country appreciates the voices denouncing the U.S. blockade, the main cause of the limitations and damages suffered by the Cuban people.

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