Normalization of Relations with Cuba Will Improve Quality of Life

Cuba is facing one of its worst economic crises in a long time. Food prices have skyrocketed, and medicines, clean water and medical equipment are in short supply. Our Cuban siblings have expressed much distress related to access to food and basic medicines.

Faith-based organizations and other non-governmental organizations continue to face challenges getting humanitarian aid into Cuba due to onerous restrictions imposed by the U.S. government. One U.S. government policy that contributes to these challenges is the designation of Cuba as a State Sponsors of Terrorism (SST). Cuba was added to the SST list in 1982, but the Obama administration removed Cuba from SST list in 2015. However, the Trump administration placed Cuba back on the list weeks before ending in January 2021. The reason given for this re-listing was Cuba’s refusal to extradite members of a Colombian rebel group called Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional (ELN), which was in Cuba as part of the peace talks Cuba was hosting - a process that led to a ceasefire agreement between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

The ELCA has long called for normalization of relations with Cuba and an end to the U.S. embargo. Our church has had an on-going relationship with the United Evangelical Church in Cuba Lutheran Synod, the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Matanzas, and the Ecumenical Council of Cuba to promote dialogue and exchange with the churches in Cuba, and has provided humanitarian assistance as well.

Ask President Biden to remove Cuba from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism making a better quality of life possible for Cuban siblings. Customize the letter below.