A Resolution urging that Cuba be Removed from U.S. list of State sponsors of Terrorism

WHEREAS:  For the past 64 years, the United States has imposed an economic, commercial and financial embargo on Cuba which prevents most engagement and trade with the United States, as well as punishing other countries that engage with Cuba; and

WHEREAS:  This embargo continues to inflict daily hardships and deprivations on the Cuban people creating shortages of food and medicine and severely restricting financial and trade opportunities; preventing Cuba from obtaining vital medical equipment and supplies, thus harming the Cuban people that the United States claims to support; and

WHEREAS:  The United Nations in 2024 estimated that this embargo had cost the Cuban economy $164 billion, and that current annual costs are about $5 billion each year; and

WHEREAS:  The United Nations General Assembly voted to condemn the U.S. embargo against Cuba – for the 32^nd time on October 30, 2024, with 187 nations decisively voting in favor, and only the United States and Israel opposed; and

WHEREAS:  The Trump administration imposed 243 new sanctions upon Cuba, including

restrictions on Cuban Americans who send remittances to families and businesses in Cuba; these sanctions are contributing to a mass migration of Cubans, creating U.S. border security concerns; and

WHEREAS:  President Trump arbitrarily reinstated Cuba’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism less than a week before the end of his first term reversing the Obama-Biden administration’s 2015 decision to remove this status after an exhaustive review by the U.S. State Department finding that Cuba does not satisfy any criteria for inclusion on this list; and

WHEREAS:  The arbitrary designation of Cuba has subjected them to further sanctions and international financial restrictions that limits Cuba’s ability to carry out critical financial transactions, including those needed to purchase food, medicines and oil to power its national electrical gridand improve its economy; and

WHEREAS:  In 2021, 117 members of the U.S. Congress called for the removal of Cuba from the State Sponsor of Terrorism list noting in a letter; “a policy of engagement with Cuba serves U.S. interests and those of the Cuban people;” and

WHEREAS: President Biden belatedly removed Cuba from the State Sponsor of Terrorism list in the final week of his administration, and President Trump reinstated Cuba on the list by executive order on the first day of his new presidency; and

WHEREAS:  The President has the authority to remove Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list by executive order, and to recommit to the normalization of relations with Cuba begun in 2014.

Therefore Be it RESOLVED that ____________________________  strongly urges the President to remove Cuba from the United States list of state sponsors of terrorism and to oppose all legislation that seeks to prevent the removal of Cuba from such list, including the FORCE Act; and

Be It Further RESOLVED that ___________________________ urges our congressional delegation to pass legislation to eliminate the embargo; remove all sanctions against Cuba by the United States and allow the peoples of the United States and Cuba to travel and trade freely between the countries, and to oppose any legislation that seeks to codify the embargo, SSOT or other sanctions against Cuba; and

Be It Further RESOLVED that ___________________________ strongly urges the [State, Region and/or International Executive Board of the National AFL-CIO, or other body] to state their opposition to the embargo, the inclusion of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, and trade and travel restrictions; and

Be It Further RESOLVED that ___________________________issues a press release regarding the details of this resolution to its media contacts within its jurisdiction.