Letter to the Hon. Barack Obama, President of the United States - Abstain from Cuba Embargo Vote

Letter

Dear President Obama:

The formal re-establishment of a U.S. embassy in Cuba on August 20th of this year marked an important turn in U.S.-Cuba relations. We thank you for your commitment to promoting a 21st century foreign policy with Cuba and request that you work with international partners and Congress to further develop mutually beneficial relations between the two nations.

Later this month, the United Nations will consider a resolution calling for an end to the U.S. embargo on Cuba. The Cuban delegation to the UN has submitted this resolution to the General Assembly for the past 23 years. Given that overwhelming majorities have long voted to condemn the embargo, it is increasingly clear that the embargo does more to isolate our interests than those of the Cuban government.

Should this year's resolution and the debate surrounding it fully reflect the realities of the new U.S.-Cuba relationship, we urge you to seriously consider the unprecedented step of asking the U.S. Permanent Representative to abstain from voting. We believe that an abstention will send a clear message that the U.S. is truly committed to improving relations with Cuba and addressing critical issues in our bilateral relationship.

We appreciate your leadership on this issue, in particular your call to Congress to take steps to lift the embargo. We look forward to working constructively with your Administration to improve diplomatic relations, expand trade, and promote human rights and democratic reforms.

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