WASHINGTON — “It is precisely through a greater commitment to bilateral collaboration and cooperation that positive change will come for the Cuban people,” said Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on International Justice and Peace. In response to the announcement that President Biden was removing Cuba from the state sponsors of terrorism list, Bishop Zaidan stated:

“I commend the Administration for its decision to remove Cuba from the state sponsors of terrorism list. For decades, in conjunction with the Holy See, the Cuban bishops, and the majority of the international community, the USCCB 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. It is my hope that this policy shift renews our country’s bilateral engagement on Cuba, and that it prompts both the United States and Cuba to explore a greater degree of collaboration, including bilateral trade and greater access to travel between our nations. Cuba needs more engagement from the United States, not less, and it is precisely through a greater commitment to bilateral collaboration and cooperation that positive change will come for the Cuban people, including cultural exchange and a stronger economy.”

Bishop Zaidan’s letter from July 2024 to Secretary of State Antony Blinken in support of such an action is available here.