This appeal was originally circulated by The People's Forum
On September 27th, Hurricane Ian made landfall on Cuba as a
Category 3 storm. Over 50,000 were evacuated, the island lost power,
and over 50,000 homes were destroyed. Now the efforts to rebuild are
in full force, but the U.S. embargo and sanctions regime are
preventing aid from arriving.
This Sunday the New York Times will carry an ad with an
urgent appeal to President Biden asking him to temporarily waive US
sanctions so Cuba can directly purchase construction materials for
rebuilding. We also demand that Cuba be removed from the
State Sponsors of Terrorism List that make banks in both the United
States and abroad reluctant to process any transactions, including
humanitarian donations. We have placed this ad to put pressure on
Biden and to raise awareness of the sanctions regime that are
collectively punishing the people of Cuba at their time of greatest
need.
DONATE and help us fundraise to urgently send
roofing material and other construction supplies to the Cuban
people.
We are calling on allies in movements across the United
States to help with this campaign to Let Cuba Rebuild. We are
both collecting donations to
help with rebuilding efforts, and asking others to sign onto and share
this letter demanding that Biden at least suspend
the sanctions to allow building materials to be
purchased.
It is unconscionable at this critical hour to maintain the blockade
and engage in collective punishment against an entire people. The
people of Cuba are human beings and our neighbors. They have all the
same desires as the millions in Florida who are today surveying the
damage to their homes, and anxious to rebuild. Just imagine if those
millions were cut off from purchasing construction materials or
receiving aid; no one would stand for it, and we can’t stand for this
either.
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