Letter
Letter to Secretary of State Blinken on Removal of Cuba from the State Sponsor of Terrorism List, July 9, 2024
July 9, 2024
The Honorable Antony Blinken
Secretary of State
The United States Department of State
2201 C St NW
Washington, DC 20451
Re: Cuba’s Designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism
Dear Mr. Secretary,
Be assured of my prayers as you continue to lead our country’s diplomatic efforts during these challenging times.
On May 15, 2024, the State Department submitted to Congress the list of countries that do not fully cooperate with our country’s anti-terrorism efforts; we were pleased to see that, unlike in recent years, Cuba was not included in that list.
In 2021, when the previous administration designated Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, Bishop David Malloy, my predecessor as Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, expressed his profound disagreement, stressing our longstanding position in favor of strong bilateral cooperation for the good of the American and Cuban people. Bishop Malloy added that:
For decades, in conjunction with the Holy See and the majority of the international community, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has urged collaboration and mutually beneficial relations between the United States and Cuba, as well as the full lifting of the economic embargo against the island nation.
I urge you, Mr. Secretary, to remove Cuba’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, and to maximize our country’s engagement for the good of the Cuban people.
Mr. Secretary, my staff and I are available to meet and discuss this matter further at your request.
Sincerely yours,
(The Most Reverend) A. Elias Zaidan
Bishop of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon
Chairman, Committee on International Justice and Peace
Letter to Secretary of State Blinken on Cuba, July 9, 2024.pdf