| Dear Supporter, Earlier today, President Obama announced historic changes in U.S.-Cuba policy. Together we have been working to promote this change for decades. Yes, decades. Before anything else, we want to say THANK YOU for all of your work that led to this day! Obama’s package of comprehensive reforms greatly exceeds all other actions taken in the past five decades to normalize relations between the United States and Cuba. The recognition of current Cuba policy as outdated and ineffective, as well as these new reforms, will improve U.S. relations not only with Cuba, but with the entire Latin American region. A new policy will allow for constructive dialogue between the two nations and more opportunity to engage with our Cuban neighbors. Thank President Obama for making such monumental changes to U.S. policy towards Cuba. Let’s flood the White House with our thanks—the President deserves that! Obama’s new steps to restore relations with Cuba include: • Re-establishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba, including official embassies in Havana and Washington, D.C.;
• An expansion of travel under general licenses for all 12 existing categories of travel;
• Facilitating remittances to Cuban nationals by U.S. persons and raising the maximum amount allowed per quarter;
• Allowing authorized transactions between U.S. and Cuban institutions;
• Authorizing more commercial sales and exports to Cuba from the United States;
• Reviewing Cuba’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, toward the end (we believe) of removing Cuba from the list;
• Restoring U.S. citizens’ right to import Cuban products up to $400 per trip (including $100 in cigars and rum); and
• Cooperating with Cuba during the 2015 Summit of the Americas.
To see the full White House Fact Sheet, click here. In addition to these steps, President Obama has released the remaining three imprisoned members of the Cuban Five, in exchange for a U.S. intelligence agent who has been in prison in Cuba for nearly 20 years. President Castro granted humanitarian release to imprisoned USAID subcontractor Alan Gross, who returned to the United States earlier this morning. The releases of Gross and three members of the Cuban Five have removed the greatest impediments standing in the way of normalized relations between the United States and Cuba. Join us in thanking President Obama by sending an email or making a phone call to the White House. The steps taken by the Obama Administration will undoubtedly lead to greater cooperation between the two nations on both regional and global issues. As Obama said in his statement today: “Today America chooses to cut loose the shackles of the past. So it is to reach for a better future for the Cuban people, for the American people, for our entire hemisphere and for the world.” Let’s show our support for these monumental changes and encourage President Obama to continue toward normalized relations with Cuba! To email President Obama, click here. To call President Obama, call the White House Comment Line: 202-456-1111 or Switchboard: 202-456-1414. Sample phone script: [Thank you, Mr. President, for taking such an historic step in changing U.S.-Cuba policy. The new reforms that you have made will go a long way to improve U.S. relations with Cuba. I urge you to maintain this constructive dialogue with Cuba, remove Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list as soon as possible, and continue on the path towards normalized relations between the two nations.] Thank you again for all you do, Mavis and Taylor
The LAWG Cuba Team | 
No comments:
Post a Comment