In a May 9, 2024, letter to the U.S. Department of State 20 U.S. churches and religious groups called for the U.S. to end its designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism.[1] This letter made the following points:
- “We write to express our deep concern regarding the plight of the Cuban people. The combined effects of failed U.S. foreign policies and Cuban economic policies have created dire humanitarian conditions on the island.”
- “Among these are widespreadshortages of food and medicine, as well as a critical lack of energy resulting in near-daily power outages across Cuba. Hospitals are in special need of relief, as medical supplies of all kinds are critically short.”
- “In addition, economic desperation has been a major factor in a recent and unprecedented surge in migration from Cuba to other countries. While these include Spain and other nations in Spanish-speaking Latin America, far and away the principal destination has been the United States. Since 2021, more than 500,000 Cubans have sought refuge in the U.S., a figure approximating 5% of the island nation’s population.”
- The U.S. decision to list Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism “was a gross mistake and has had a hugely detrimental effect on the Cuban people and the ability of our partners to serve them.” More specifically, the listing “has led banks, financial institutions and international suppliers to withdraw support for regular trade and collaboration with religious groups providing humanitarian aid to Cuba.”
- “As a result, the ability ofour denominations and faith-based organizations to offer crucial assistance and financial aid to Cuban partners has been severely limited, with financial institutions freezing funds allocated for religious and humanitarian activities.”
- “The current U.S. policy of strangling Cuban society with an economic embargo to force them to overthrow their government is morally unacceptable and antithetical to our faith, as well as (to) basic human rights principles.”
- “We urge you to remove Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list and take steps toward ending the economic embargo and normalizing relations with Cuba. Let us stand together to relieve the suffering of the Cuban people, help them to prosper in their own country, and seek to include them fully in the family of nations.” (Emphasis added.)
The Signers of the Letter
The signers of this letter were the National Council of Churches, Church World Service, Pax Christi USA, Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), United Church of Christ, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), United Methodist Church, Mennonite Central Committee U.S., Friends Committee on National Legislation, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Church of the Brethren, the Alliance of Baptists, American Baptist Home Mission Societies and Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America.
Conclusion
As a member of Minneapolis’ Westminster Presbyterian Church, which belongs to the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) denomination and which has partnerships with a Presbyterian-Reformed Cuban church and a related Cuban seminary,[2] I am pleased to see that our denomination is one of the signers of this letter, and its statement about this letter referred to its “ties to the Cuban religious communities and the Cuban people” and stated that we have “deep concern for the effects that current U.S. policy is having across Cuba – on our Cuban partners and the general population. . . . In particular, the continued listing of Cuba on the State Sponsors of Terrorism (SST) list has led to great suffering among our Cuban partners and the Cuban people. We urge you to remove Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list and seek a path toward normalization in our nation’s relationship with the Cuban people and government.” (Emphasis added.)
I concur.
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[1] Baptist News Global, Church bodies press Biden on Cuba, (May 13, 2024).;PCUSA Joins 20 faith groups calling for Cuba to be taken off State Sponsors of Terrorism List, (March 13, 2023 [sic].
[2] See, e.g., these posts to dwkcommentaries.com: Minneapolis Westminster Presbyterian Church’ Connections with Cuba (Jan. 13, 2015); The Ridiculous U.S. Designation of Cuba as a “State Sponsor of Terrorism” (May 20, 2011); U.S. Stupidity and Cowardice in Continuing To Designate Cuba as a “State Sponsor of Terrorism” (May 6, 2014); President Obama Rescinds U.S. Designation of Cuba as a “State Sponsor of Terrorism“ (April 15, 2015).