Senator Patrick Leahy and congressman Jim McGovern lead a group of 25 members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives who signed a letter urging the U.S. government to attest that the political system in that country does not prevent companies and specialized personnel from the world from collaborating with Cuba in the confrontation with COVID-19.

In this letter, sent to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, they point out that it is “dangerous and contrary to our long tradition of not politicizing the delivery of humanitarian aid. In an unprecedented emergency caused by a deadly virus that is so easily transmitted, public health and safety must be the priority.

The document, quoted on Twitter by Jose Ramon Cabañas, Cuban ambassador to Washington, explains that, given the geographical distance between the two nations, the transmission of the virus threatens the health and safety not only of Cubans, but also of Americans and others in the Caribbean region, and therefore reiterates the need for cooperation to eradicate the pandemic.

The request also refers to the contradiction represented by the economic, commercial and financial blockade, as well as the sanctions and threats against foreign companies interested in providing Cuba with necessary medical supplies, with the principles of humanism established in U.S. laws.

In many instances, US political and government personalities have raised their voices in support and solidarity with the Cuban people, as a sign of the obsolescence of the blockade which, for almost 60 years, has been the greatest hurdle to the development of Cuba.

source: ACN