US Congresswoman on Cuba Blockade: Immoral, Inexcusable, and Cruel

U.S. Congresswoman Delia Ramírez reiterated on Monday her demand to end the U.S. blockade against Cuba, which she described as immoral, inexcusable, and cruel. In a statement issued following her return from a weekend visit to the island, Ramírez called for a definitive shift in U.S. policy toward the Caribbean nation.

“We must demand an end to the blockade. We must end the sanctions. We must end the siege of the Cuban people. We must oppose and dismantle every U.S. policy that violates…” she said.

A member of the House of Representatives for Illinois, Ramírez argued that “our 60-year imperialist policies—including an immoral, inexcusable, and cruel blockade—have contributed to the extreme conditions faced by Cubans.” She noted that despite all adversities, she heard directly from the Cuban people that they desire new relationships based on cooperation and diplomacy.

Ramírez, who co-chairs and co-founded the Global Migration Caucus, added that under the pretext of liberating the Cuban people, the U.S. government actually harms them. “As a member of Congress, it is my responsibility to understand the effects of U.S. policies on the lives of our neighbors in Cuba,” she explained.

Calling for a change in course, Ramírez urged the immediate passage of the War Powers Resolution regarding Cuba introduced by her Democratic colleague, Representative Nydia Velázquez, as well as the New Good Neighbor Act. “We can and must be good neighbors,” she concluded.

On July 1, Ramírez joined fellow Democratic Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Jonathan Jackson, and Rho Khanna outside the U.S. Capitol in a press conference reaffirming their opposition to the current administration’s policies toward the island. Since beginning his second term in the White House on January 20 of last year, President Donald Trump has intensified his pressure on Cuba, with a cascade of unilateral coercive measures while the threat of military action persists.