AS/COA Welcomes Obama's Decision to Remove Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism List
AS/COA Welcomes Obama's Decision to Remove Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism List
The president's historic move reinforces the U.S. commitment to normalize relations with Cuba.
New York, April 14, 2015 —Americas Society and Council of the Americas welcome President Barack Obama’s decision to act on the State Department’s recommendation to remove Cuba from the country’s State Sponsors of Terrorism list, an action consistent with the new U.S. policy of normalizing diplomatic relations with the government and empowering the people of Cuba.
"This announcement, following the historic meeting between Presidents Obama and Raul Castro at the Seventh Summit of the Americas in Panama, is a very positive development not just for the U.S. and Cuba, but for U.S. relationships with all nations in the hemisphere that have given their overwhelming support for the opening," said Americas Society/Council of the Americas President and CEO Susan Segal.
"Removing Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list is another step in the right direction of rethinking and updating U.S. policy toward Cuba. This is a strong signal that we are entering a new era of bilateral relations driven by engagement and away from isolation," said AS/COA Director of Policy and Head of the Cuba Working Group Alana Tummino.
By removing Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list, the U.S. government would reinforce its commitment to a long-overdue policy shift towards the island, for which AS/COA's Cuba Working Group (CWG) has advocated since its creation in 2007.
To speak with our experts on this topic, please contact:
Adriana La Rotta at alarotta@as-coa.org or 212-277-8384.
Kariela Almonte at kalmonte@as-coa.org or 212 277-8333.
Americas Society (AS) is the premier organization dedicated to education, debate and dialogue in the Americas. Established by David Rockefeller in 1965, our mission is to foster an understanding of the contemporary political, social and economic issues confronting Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada, and to increase public awareness and appreciation of the diverse cultural heritage of the Americas and the importance of the inter-American relationship.
Council of the Americas (COA) is the premier international business organization whose members share a common commitment to economic and social development, open markets, the rule of law, and democracy throughout the Western Hemisphere.
AS/COA's Cuba Working Group (CWG) includes corporate leaders from the worlds of banking, financial services, energy, telecommunications, hospitality, pharmaceuticals, and law. Working group meetings look at the steps companies can take under current U.S. restrictions to pre-position themselves for future investment. This effort has produced a series of papers on regulations and laws affecting U.S. business activity under the U.S. embargo and in Cuba.
