CEDA Applauds Biden Administration’s Actions, Vatican’s Diplomatic Breakthrough and Cuban Prisoner Release
Washington, D.C. — CEDA applauds the Biden Administration’s unilateral policy actions announced today and acknowledges the Vatican’s role in facilitating the forthcoming release of 553 prisoners in Cuba.
Today, the Biden Administration announced that it has formally notified the U.S. Congress of President Biden’s decision to remove Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSOT) List and issue a waiver on Title III of the Helms-Burton Act. President Biden also rescinded the Trump-era sanctions policy on Cuba, known as National Security Presidential Memorandum 5 (NSPM-5). The actions come nearly four years after the designation of Cuba as a SSOT state by the Trump Administration, a policy that has exacerbated the economic and humanitarian challenges faced by the Cuban people.
“We welcome this long-overdue step toward a diplomatic policy grounded in facts rather than political fervor,” said María José Espinosa, Executive Director of CEDA.
“At the eleventh hour, the Biden Administration has shown what diplomacy can do. A six-decade economic embargo has failed to deliver the results that concerted engagement and diplomacy have achieved today,” added Espinosa. “Today is proof that isolation is not the way to promote freedom, economic opportunity, and support for human rights–engagement is.”
Separately, the Cuban government confirmed plans to release 553 prisoners. CEDA calls on the Cuban government to release political prisoners in good faith and allow them to reunite with their families and participate in Cuban life without persecution.
Contact:
Nick Aimé
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For additional background on SSOT and Cuba: State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSOT) FAQ.