FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JAN 14, 2025
Media Contact: Melissa Garriga | [email protected] | 228-990-4168
CODEPINK Statement: Biden’s Long Overdue Step Towards Diplomacy for Cuba
The Biden Administration’s decision to remove Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSOT) list, deactivate Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, and eliminate the State Department’s Cuba Restricted Entities List is a long-overdue move. While we welcome these steps, it is unacceptable that it took this administration four years to address these injustices. President Biden made the inhumane decision every single day to not alleviate the suffering of millions of Cubans by keeping this designation in place. As we mark this overdue progress, we can only hope that the Trump administration does not reverse these crucial steps towards justice and diplomacy.
These critical steps, announced by a senior administration official, are long-awaited reprieve for the Cuban people, who have endured decades of economic hardship and isolation due to outdated and punitive U.S. policies. The State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSOT) designation, in particular, was a baseless and cruel label that exacerbated the devastating impact of the ongoing embargo. These measures have inflicted unnecessary suffering on the Cuban people, depriving families of access to food, medicine, and the resources they need to thrive. These inhumane policies have also forced countless Cubans to leave their homeland, risking their lives on dangerous journeys in search of a better future.
CODEPINK has just returned from an 8-day delegation to Cuba, where we met with doctors, educators, artists, community members, and friends who shared their personal stories of living under the crushing weight of the U.S. blockade, sanctions, and SSOT designation. We saw firsthand how this economic war has plagued every aspect of Cuban life—limiting access to food, medicine, education, and critical resources. While we share in this moment of relief, we remain deeply concerned about what lies ahead.
This decision is a victory for the millions of people in the world who have called for an end to these cruel measures. It reflects a growing recognition that policies of isolation and punishment have failed and that collaboration and respect are the only way forward. Global leaders, including Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, have emphasized the need for regional cooperation and humanitarian action, and we are heartened to see these calls being heeded.
The SSOT designation, compounded by the economic embargo and restrictions like Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, has inflicted immense suffering on the Cuban people. These unilateral policies have stymied trade, investment, and tourism while worsening Cuba’s economic and humanitarian crisis. Ending these punitive measures serves not only the interests of the Cuban people but also U.S. national security and global stability. Biden chose to reverse these policies a full week before another president takes office, someone who might reinstate the placement as soon as he's sworn in. Biden's policy on Cuba was one of deliberate starvation and deprivation -- that must not be forgotten.
As the United Nations General Assembly reaffirmed in November 2024, the international community overwhelmingly rejects the U.S. embargo and coercive measures against Cuba. Today’s actions are a vital acknowledgment of these global calls for justice. While CODEPINK celebrates these positive steps, we recognize that much more work is needed to fully dismantle policies that harm Cuba and prevent U.S. citizens from freely trading, visiting, and collaborating with our southern neighbor.
Finally, we call on the next administration to continue on the path toward normalization with Cuba. This is an opportunity to embrace policies rooted in respect, justice, and human dignity.
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