Washington, April 26.- United States Congresswoman Pramyla Jayapal advocated removing Cuba from the list of sponsors of terrorism, whose designation, she stated, today profoundly limits its ability to function as a country.
Jayapal, a member of the House of Representatives for the state of Washington, who traveled to Havana in February with her colleague Ilhan Omar (from Minnesota), gave her considerations in the Save the World Pod, dedicated weekly to analysis of international issues and foreign policy.
The Democratic representative commented that it is not just a criterion held by Cubans about the importance of removing Cuba from that list, made unilaterally and in which it was re-included on January 12, 2021 by then-President Donald Trump days before. to conclude his mandate.
The curious thing - she stressed - is that Latin American and European ambassadors with whom she met agree on the need to eliminate this policy of sanctions towards the Caribbean country, whose harmful impact also questions the role of the United States in the region.
Jayapal referred to the effects of Cuba's inclusion on the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism (SST in English).
She spoke about European citizens who lost the possibility of visa exemption to enter US territory after visiting the island.
Usually, citizens of the European Union were visa-exempt and only needed an entry permit that they could apply for online on the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) portal.
She mentioned that at least 300 thousand people who visited Cuba from various European countries were later not eligible for the ESTA visa.
Lamenting the sanctions and persistent restrictions of the Joe Biden administration, Jayapal warned: I think people feel that Cuba's ability to function as a country is deeply limited by the SST (State Sponsors of Terrorism).
In a message he posted on X, Jayapal wrote it was great to join Pod Save the World this week to discuss my vote against unconditional military aid to Israel and our country's relationship with Cuba.
At the beginning of 2024, Jayapal called from his account on the platform itself for Cuba to be removed from the SST list.
“Today (January 12) marks three years since Cuba was included on the list (…), a Trump-era policy that has devastated the Cuban economy and made the lives of its population more difficult. It is time for Biden to eliminate that designation, lift the sanctions and reopen relations with Cuba,” she said.
The congresswoman insisted that one of the impacts of being on the aforementioned list is the almost impossibility of Cuba doing international business, which led to the worsening of an economic crisis that has been the essence of the recent exodus registered in the Antillean nation. (Text and photo: PL)
