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Let Cuba Live! End the US cold war against Cuba

The No Cold War international campaign joins over 400 organisations and individuals in calling upon Biden’s US Administration to lift the 243 unilateral coercive measures that were imposed on Cuba by former President Donald Trump.

No Cold War supports the open letter to US President Joe Biden below which was first published in the New York Times. The letter was organised by The People’s Forum, CODEPINK and the ANSWER Coalition.

You can add your name to the ‘Let Cuba Live’ letter here.


Dear President Joe Biden,

It is time to take a new path forward in U.S.-Cuban relations. We, the undersigned, are making this urgent, public appeal to you to reject the cruel policies put into place by the Trump White House that have created so much suffering among the Cuban people.

Cuba – a country of eleven million people – is living through a difficult crisis due to the growing scarcity of food and medicine. Recent protests have drawn the world’s attention to this. While the Covid-19 pandemic has proven challenging for all countries, it has been even more so for a small island under the heavy weight of an economic embargo.

We find it unconscionable, especially during a pandemic, to intentionally block remittances and Cuba’s use of global financial institutions, given that access to dollars is necessary for the importation of food and medicine.

As the pandemic struck the island, its people – and their government – lost billions in revenue from international tourism that would normally go to their public health care system, food distribution and economic relief.

During the pandemic, Donald Trump’s administration tightened the embargo, pushed aside the Obama opening, and put in place 243 “coercive measures” that have intentionally throttled life on the island and created more suffering.

The prohibition on remittances and the end of direct commercial flights between the U.S. and Cuba are impediments to the wellbeing of a majority of Cuban families.

“We stand with the Cuban people,” you wrote on July 12. If that is the case, we ask you to immediately sign an executive order and annul Trump’s 243 “coercive measures.”

There is no reason to maintain the Cold War politics that required the U.S. to treat Cuba as an existential enemy rather than a neighbor. Instead of maintaining the path set by Trump in his efforts to undo President Obama’s opening to Cuba, we call on you to move forward. Resume the opening and begin the process of ending the embargo. Ending the severe shortages in food and medicine must be the top priority.

On 23 June, most of the member states of the United Nations voted to ask the U.S. to end the embargo. For the past 30 years this has been the consistent position of a majority of member states. In addition, seven UN Special Rapporteurs wrote a letter to the U.S. government in April 2020 regarding the sanctions on Cuba. “In the pandemic emergency,” they wrote, “the lack of will of the U.S. government to suspend sanctions may lead to a higher risk of suffering in Cuba.”

We ask you to end the Trump “coercive measures” and return to the Obama opening or, even better, begin the process of ending the embargo and fully normalizing relations between the United States and Cuba.

  • Vermont State Labor Council, AFL-CIO
  • ANSWER Coalition
  • CODEPINK
  • IFCO/Pastors for Peace
  • Andres Arauz (Ecuador)
  • Nnimmo Bassey (Nigeria)
  • Jackson Browne
  • Prof. Judith Butler
  • Jeremy Corbyn (UK)
  • Daniel Ellsberg
  • Danny Glover
  • Wagner Moura (Brasil)
  • Boots Riley
  • Silvio Rodriguez Dominguez (Cuba)
  • Susan Sarandon
  • Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis
  • Marisa Tomei
  • Reinerio Arce, Instituto Superior Ecuménico de Ciencias de las Religiones (Cuba)
  • Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK
  • Rafael Correa, Fmr. President (Ecuador)
  • Manolo De Los Santos, The People’s Forum
  • David Harvey, CUNY Graduate Center (UK)
  • Prof. Raj Patel, University of Texas
  • Bishop Rubin Phillip, Anglican Church of Southern Africa (South Africa)
  • Israel Rojas Fiel, Duo Buena Fe (Cuba)
  • Rev. Raul Suarez, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center (Cuba)
  • Yanis Varoufakis, (Greece)
  • Rev. Jim Winkler, National Council of Churches USA
  • United States Peace Council
  • PazAmor, Inc
  • Noname
  • Leonardo Boff
  • Glauber Braga
  • Alicia Castro (Argentina)
  • Jandira Fhegalli
  • Luis Hernández Navarro (Mexico)
  • Dr. Robin D. G. Kelley
  • Dr. Gilberto López y Rivas (Mexico)
  • Dra. Josefina Morales (Mexico)
  • Dr. Barbara Ransby
  • Prof Raymond Suttner
  • Ruth Wilson Gilmore
  • Prof. Bruno Bosteels, Columbia University
  • John Cavanagh, Institute for Policy Studies
  • Gabriel Coderch Diaz, Centro Oscar Arnulfo Romero (Cuba)
  • Prof. Costas Douzinas, Hellenic Parliament (Greece)
  • Jorge González Nuñez, Student Christian Movement of Cuba (Cuba)
  • Chris Hazzard, Sinn Fein (Ireland)
  • Bishop Ismael Laborde Figueras, United Evangelical Church in Cuba Lutheran Synod (Cuba)
  • Michael Löwy, French National Center of Scientific Research
  • Eugene Puryear, BreakThrough News
  • Angélica Salazar, Alliance for Cuba Engagement and Respect (ACERE)
  • President David Van Deusen, Vermont State Labor Council AFL-CIO
  • Corporación colectivo CreAcción
  • Anti-Flag
  • The Grayzone
  • Comite 68 (Mexico)
  • RadioMiamiTV y PazAmor
  • Carl Messineo, Attorney
  • New Frame (South Africa)
  • Eve 6
  • Labor Against Racism and War
  • Zackie Achmat (South Africa)
  • Santiago Alba Rico (Spain)
  • Dr. Tom Alter
  • Eduardo Alvares Moreira (Brasil)
  • Dr. Barbara Applebaum
  • Dr. Silvia Arrom
  • Maricruz Badia
  • Leo Bashinsky
  • Dr. Richard Benson
  • Altamiro Borges (Brasil)
  • Ricardo Bracho
  • Noni Brynjolson
  • Dr. Larry Busk
  • Lee Camp
  • Dr. Chuck Churchill
  • Prof. Jean Cohen
  • Ana Cortes
  • Peter Coyote
  • Edevaldo de Medeiros (Brasil)
  • Derek DePratter
  • Osvaldo Doimeadiós (Cuba)
  • Dr Jean Dreze
  • Jennifer Duprey
  • Max Elbaum
  • Liza Featherstone
  • Alon Feuerwerker (Brasil)
  • Prof. Carlos Forment
  • Morgan Glaze
  • Prof. Emeritus Karen Graffeo
  • Chris Gude
  • Prof. Peter Hallward
  • Prof. Donna Haraway
  • Michael Hardt
  • Chris Hedges
  • Prof. Anasa Hicks
  • Bruno Jaffré
  • Esteban Jimenez
  • Prof. Cedric Johnson
  • Prof. Sujung Kim
  • Dr. Tomomi Kinukawa
  • Flávia Lacerda (Brasil)
  • Greg LaMotta
  • Vivien Lesnik Weisman
  • Prof. Ania Loomba
  • Prof. Clayton Lust
  • Verónica Lynn (Cuba)
  • Dr. Richard MacMaster
  • Dr. Curry Malott
  • Professor Emeritus, SUNY Cortland John Marciano
  • James Martel
  • Aaron Maté
  • Dr. David McNally
  • Dr. Magali Menezes (Brasil)
  • Camilo Molina
  • Prof. Daniel Mosquera
  • Julio Munoz
  • Prof. Michael Neocosmos (South Africa)
  • Ben Norton
  • Dr. Marcos Oliveira (Brasil)
  • Hypatia Ostojic
  • Prof. Tanalís Padilla (Mexico)
  • João Paulo (Brasil)
  • Dr. Jacques Pauwels
  • João Pimenta Lopes
  • Beatrice Pita
  • Prof. Claire Potter
  • Lindi Ragon
  • Dr. Josiah Rector
  • Corey Robin
  • Prof. Gabriel Rockhill
  • Thomas Ross
  • Prof. Abra Salazar
  • Prof. Rosaura Sanchez
  • Sanford Schram
  • Dr. Rupa Shah
  • Prof. Beverly Sheftall
  • Prof. Lewis Siegelbaum
  • Alan Singer
  • Greg Smith
  • Samuel Stein
  • Linda Talton
  • Jules Taylor
  • Vladislava Tomova
  • Dario Ulloa
  • Prof. Luis Felipe Ulloa-Forero
  • Orlando Valle “Maraca” (Cuba)
  • Jaime Veve
  • José Villa Soberón (Cuba)
  • Byron Vu
  • Antonio Y. Vázquez-Arroyo
  • Dr Randall Williams
  • Dr. Barbara Winslow
  • Amanda Yee
  • Prof. Rabab Abdulhadi, Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies, San Francisco State University
  • David Adler, Progressive International
  • Dr. Julia Alekseyeva, University of Pennsylvania
  • Rev. Aundreia Alexander, National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA
  • Tata Amaral, (Brasil)
  • Christian Appy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
  • Prof. Guy Aronoff, Humboldt State University
  • Etienne Balibar, Kingston University London
  • Prof. Narciso Barrera-Bassols, Grupo de Trabajo Agroecología Política CLACSO (Argentina)
  • Prof. Joel Beinin, Stanford University
  • Monica Benicio, Vereadora Psol (Brasil)
  • Dr. Cyrus Bina, University of Minnesota
  • Heidi Boghosian, A.J. Muste Memorial Institute
  • Marc Botenga, Parti du Travail de Belgique
  • Prof. Robert Brenner, UCLA
  • Prof. Wendy Brown, U Cal Berkeley
  • Beatriz Cerqueira, (PT) MG (Brasil)
  • Prof. Benoit Challand, New School for Social Research
  • Dianna Cohen, Plastic Pollution Coalition
  • Fray Miguel Concha Malo, Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Francisco de Vitoria (Mexico)
  • Leslie Cunningham, Texas State Employees Union
  • Luiz Carlos da Rocha, advogado (Brasil)
  • Adriana de França, advogada (Brasil)
  • Bruno de Paiva e Souza, Igreja Reina (Brasil)
  • Susana Draper, Princeton University
  • Prof. Sandi E Cooper, CUNY
  • Augusta Eulália Ferreira, Sindicato dos Advogados de São Paulo (Brasil)
  • Dr. Jerise Fogel, Montclair State University
  • Charles Fredricks, Israeli-Palestinian Confederation
  • Rita Maria Garcia Morris, Christian Center for Dialogue & Reflection (Cuba)
  • Adam Gogola, Blind Adam and The Federal League
  • Prof. Van Gosse, Franklin & Marshall College
  • August H. Nimtz, University of Minnesota
  • Prof. Martin Halpern, Henderson State University
  • Dr. Neil Harvey, New Mexico State University
  • Gary Holloway, USW Local 675
  • Prof. Kevin Howley, DePauw University
  • Esther Iverem, Journalist
  • Dr. Katharine Jackson, University of Dayton School of Law
  • Dr. Nazia Kazi, Stockton University
  • Adam Kotsko, Shimer Great Books School, North Central College
  • Ertugrul Kürkçü, Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) (Turkey)
  • Reed Lindsay, Belly of The Beast
  • Scott Ludlam, Fmr. Senator (Australia)
  • Prof. Anastasia Mann, Princeton University
  • Prof. Eric Mar, Asian American Studies, SF State University
  • Teresa Meade, Union College
  • Iago Montalvão, União Nacional dos Estudantes UNE (Brasil)
  • Dr. Jamil Murad, Centro brasileiro pela Solidariedade aos povos e luta pela Paz (Brasil)
  • Frank Padrón, Belly of The Beast (Cuba)
  • Anya Parampil, The Grayzone
  • Prof. Paul Passavant, Hobart and William Smith Colleges
  • Carol Proner, ABJD (Brasil)
  • Paulo Roberto da Silva Lima, Entregadores Antifascistas (Brasil)
  • Dr. Julio Vernon Ruíz, MD, FORNORM
  • Prof. Saskia Sassen, Columbia University
  • Roger Scott, AFSCME Local 2401
  • Cliff Smith, United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers, Local 36
  • Walter Sorrentino, PCdoB (Brasil)
  • Lester Spence, Johns Hopkins University
  • Neal Sweeney, UAW Local 5810
  • Katrina Vanden Heuvel, The Nation
  • Gilberto Vieira dos Santos, Conselho Indigenista Missionário Cimi (Brasil)
  • Prof. Barbara Weinstein, New York Univ.
  • Philip Wohlstetter, Red May
  • Colonel Ann Wright, Veterans for Peace and CODEPINK
  • Kevin Young, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
  • Acácio Zuniga Leite, Associação Brasileira de Reforma Agrária (Brasil)
  • Black Lives Matter Global Network
  • The People’s Forum
  • Landless Workers Movement-MST (Brasil)
  • V (Formerly Eve Ensler)
  • Miguel Barnet Lanza (Cuba)
  • Frei Betto (Brasil)
  • Chico Buarque (Brasil)
  • Noam Chomsky
  • Prof. Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
  • Jane Fonda
  • Nancy Morejón (Cuba)
  • Manu Pineda (Spain)
  • Eduardo (Choco) Roca Salazar (Cuba)
  • Mark Ruffalo
  • Oliver Stone
  • Emma Thompson (UK)
  • Dr. Cornel West
  • Rev. Dr. Dora Arce Valentin, Presbyterian-Reformed Church in Cuba (Cuba)
  • Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, ACT Alliance
  • Lula Da Silva, Fmr. President (Brasil)
  • Rev. Dr. Chris Ferguson, World Communion of Reformed Churches
  • Gleisi Hoffman, Worker’s Party (PT) (Brasil)
  • Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Nobel Peace Prize (Argentina)
  • Vijay Prashad, Tricontinental Institute for Social Research
  • Dr. Jill Stein, Green Party
  • Dr. Earl D. Trent Jr., Florida Avenue Baptist Church
  • Mark Weisbrot, Center for Economic and Policy Research
  • Alliance for Cuba Engagement and Respect (ACERE)
  • Observatorio Latinoamericano de Geopolítica (Mexico)
  • Democratic Socialists of America
  • Phillip Agnew
  • Atilio A Boron (Argentina)
  • Dr. Charisse Burden-Stelly
  • Roberto Chile (Cuba)
  • Dr. Pablo González Casanova (Mexico)
  • Dr Gerald Horne
  • Gloria La Riva
  • Fernando Morais (Brasil)
  • Alderperson Carlos Ramirez-Rosa
  • G. C, Spivak
  • Estela Vazquez
  • Dr. Enrique Alemán Gutiérrez, Plataforma Cubana Pra el Dialogo Intereligioso (Cuba)
  • Kenarik Boujikian, Association of Judges for Democracy – Brazil
  • Fernando Chavez, Son of Cesar Chavez
  • Prof. Jodi Dean, Hobart and William Smith Colleges
  • Former Assistant Secretary Education and Public Service Smithsonian Institution James Counts Early, Institute for Policy Studies Board
  • Rev. Dr. Carlos Emilio Ham Stanard, Seminario Evangelico de Teologia (Cuba)
  • Prof. Fredric Jameson, Duke University
  • Max Lesnick, La Alianza Martiana/ Radio Miami
  • Dianet Martínez Valdés, World Student Christian Federation – Latin America (Cuba)
  • Prof. Adolph Reed Jr, University of Pennsylvania, Dept of Political Science
  • Rev. Tania Sánchez Fonseca, Moravian Church in Cuba (Cuba)
  • Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, Partnership for Civil Justice Fund
  • DISPARADA – Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) (Brasil)
  • CUBA Solidarity Forum Ireland
  • Denver Peace Council
  • United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS)
  • Get Better Records
  • Associação Intervenção Democrática – ID
  • Historians for Peace and Democracy
  • Dream Defenders
  • Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement (South Africa)
  • Prof. Gregory Afinogenov
  • Jonathan Alingu
  • Breno Altman (Brasil)
  • Prof. Elisabeth Anker
  • Mauricio Arenas
  • Dr. Albena Azmanova
  • Maura Barrios
  • Kenneth Baynes
  • Katiusca Blanco Castiñeira (Cuba)
  • Atilio Boron (Argentina)
  • Peter Bratt
  • Prof. Susan Buck-Morss
  • Prof. Lana Cable
  • Dr. Roosbelinda Cardenas
  • Prof. Joshua Clover
  • Prof. Deborah Cohen
  • Bernardo Cotrim (Brasil)
  • Rubén Darío Salazar (Cuba)
  • Prof. T. J. Demos
  • Richard Dickerson
  • Prof. Elizabeth Dore
  • Dr. David Dulceany
  • Prof. Zillah Eisenstein
  • Ernesto Espinoza
  • Jorge Fernández Souza (Brasil)
  • John J. Fitzgerald
  • Prof. Nancy Fraser
  • Prof. David Theo Goldberg
  • Prof. A. Tom Grunfeld
  • Digna Guerra (Cuba)
  • Nigel Hanrahan
  • Michele Hardesty
  • Dr. John Harfouch
  • Doug Henwood
  • Vanessa and Ted Hope
  • Jon Jeter
  • Esteban Esteban Jimenez
  • Prof. Rebecca Karl
  • Prof. Esther kingston-mann
  • Rachel Kushner
  • Annie Lacroix-Riz
  • Dr. Tamara Lee
  • Jonathan Lethem
  • Susan Luss
  • Prof. Kara Lynch
  • Francisco López Sacha (Cuba)
  • Prof. Geo Maher
  • Bernardo Mançano Fernandes (Brasil)
  • Dr. Nadia Marsh
  • Abby Martin
  • Prof. Peter McLaren
  • Veronika Mendoza (Peru)
  • Prof. Márgara Millán
  • Alexis Moncada
  • Prof. Eshragh Motahar
  • Prof. James Neel
  • Prof. Mary Nolan
  • Luna Olavarria Gallegos
  • Jacqueline Osorio
  • Fraser Ottanelli
  • Scott Parkin
  • João Paulo Souza de Alencar (Brasil)
  • Sandra Pereira
  • Peyman Piran
  • Graziella Pogolotti (Cuba)
  • Prof. Margaret Power
  • Ignacio Ramonet (Spain)
  • Dolores Rintoul
  • Dr. William I. Robinson
  • Tania Romero
  • Vicente Rubio-Pueyo
  • Prof. Josefina Saldaña-Portillo
  • Magdiel Sanchez Quiroz (Mexico)
  • Ellen Schrecker
  • Cindy Sheehan
  • Prof. Francis Shor
  • Prof. Renato Simões (Brasil)
  • Doris Smith
  • Mark Spencer
  • Margaret Stevens
  • Dr. Maria Tamiolaki
  • Niren Tolsi (South Africa)
  • Peter Truskier
  • Maria Ulloa
  • Nadia Valavani (Greece)
  • Lesbia Vent Dumois (Cuba)
  • Henrique Vieira (Brasil)
  • Aldo ‘Bocafloja’ Villegas
  • Roy Vu
  • Ben Wilkins
  • SARAH WILSON
  • Dr. Helen Yaffe
  • Alejandro Zuñiga
  • Darryl Accone, New Frame (South Africa)
  • Christine Ahn, Women Cross the DMZ
  • Luiz Alencar Dalla Costa, Coordenação nacional MAB, Coordenação internacional do MAR, FRENTE BRASIL POPULAR BTASIL (Brasil)
  • Harry Amana, UNC-CH
  • Tânia Andrade, Advogada (Brasil)
  • Valerio Arcary, PSol (Brasil)
  • Ericah Azeviche, A Revolta da Lâmpada, Coletiva ComunaDeusa (Brasil)
  • Ajamu Baraka, Black Alliance for Peace
  • Prof. Ericka Beckman, University of Pennsylvania
  • Douglas Belchior, Coalizão Negra por Direitos e Uneafro Brasil (Brasil)
  • Prof. Daniel Benson, St. Francis College
  • Prof. Martha Biondi, Northwestern University
  • Prof. James Borchert, Cleveland State University
  • Prof. Robert Brenner, UCLA
  • Prof. Howard Brick, University of Michigan
  • Prof. Robert Buzzanco, University of Houston
  • Prof. Beatriz Cerqueira, Deputada estadual (PT) em Minas Gerais (Brasil)
  • Dr. Paloma Checa-Gismero, Swarthmore College
  • Robert Carl Cohen, The film “Three Cubans”
  • Prof. Drucilla Cornell, Rutgers University
  • Prof. Daniel Czitrom, Mount Holyoke College
  • Prof. Bruno De Conti, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil (Brasil)
  • Maria de Fátima Carneiro de Mendonça, (Brasil)
  • Eliane Dias Caffe Alves, Cineasta
  • Prof. Lisa Duggan, New York University
  • Hassan El-Tayyab, Friends Committee on National Legislation
  • Wagner Firmino Santana, Sindicato dos Metalurgicos do ABC (Brasil)
  • Prof. Derek Ford, DePauw University
  • Carlos Gabas, Consórcio de Desenvolvimento Sustentável do Nordeste (Brasil)
  • Dr. Nathaniel George, Harvard University
  • Juan Gonzalez, Democracy Now
  • Prof. Maggie Gray, Adelphi University
  • Rev. Graylan Hagler, Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ
  • Dr. Kenneth Hammond, New Mexico State University
  • Alexandre Henrique Bezerra Pires, Centro Sabia e Articulação no Semiárido Brasileiro (ASA) (Brasil)
  • Srećko Horvat, DIEM, Democracy in Europe Movement
  • Derek Ide, University of Houston
  • Dr. Christina Jackson, Stockton University
  • Ammar Ali Jan, Haqooq-e-Khalq Movement (Pakistan)
  • Prof. Claudia Koonz, History. Duke University
  • Prof. Peter Kuznick, American University
  • Prof. Andrew Lamas, University of Pennsylvania
  • Helmut-Harry Loewen, Canadian Anti-racism Education & Research Society
  • Prof. Sergio Machado Rezende, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (Brasil)
  • Prof. Patrick Manning, American Historical Association
  • Prof. Lori Marso, Union College
  • Dr. Rosemari Mealy, City College of NY (CUNY)
  • Daniel Montero, Belly of The Beast
  • Liz Oliva Fernández, Belly of The Beast (Cuba)
  • Jerry and Koohan Paik-Mander, International Forum on Globalization
  • Commissioner Mariah Parker, Athens-Clarke County Unified Government
  • Dr. Jennifer Ponce de León, University of Pennsylvania
  • Mike Prysner, The Empire Files
  • Prof. Andrew Ross, New York University
  • Alvaro Salgado, Centro Nacional de Apoyo a Misiones Indígenas (Mexico)
  • Lohana Schalken, LOUD (Brasil)
  • Ivan Silveira, Ubatuba/SP (Brasil)
  • Joaquim Soriano, Executiva Nacional do Partido dos Trabalhadores (Brasil)
  • Deyvid Souza Bacelar da Silva, FUP – Federação Única dos Petroleiros (Brasil)
  • Devyn Springer, Walter Rodney Foundation
  • Astra Taylor, Debt Collective
  • João Vicente Caixa d’Água, Sindicato dos Advogados de São Paulo (Brasil)
  • Jeanette Vizguerra, Sanctuary for All Colorado
  • Prof. Suzi Weissman, Saint Mary’s College of CA
  • Patti Woods, Patti Woods Interiors
  • Prof. Emeritus Nicholas Xenos, University of Massachusetts Amherst
  • Orlando Zaccone D’Elia Filho, Movimento Policiais Antifascismo (Brasil)