BALTIMORE, MD – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement regarding the rescission of Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism.
“This decision is a necessary step forward in establishing a more constructive relationship with Cuba,” said Senator Cardin. “The Administration has conducted a thorough review and determined the Cuban government no longer provides support for international terrorism. This is an important step in developing a path toward a more constructive future, but in no way does it ignore the ongoing violations of human rights in Cuba, the detentions of political dissidents, and the Cuban government’s harboring of American fugitives wanted for crimes, including the murders of U.S. law enforcement officers.
“With the release of Marylander Alan Gross last year, ongoing diplomatic dialogue between our two nations, increased people-to-people engagements between our citizens, and the removal of Cuba from the State Sponsor of Terrorism list, a more hopeful future is possible. It is my desire that Cuba will, in turn, establish a more open society that values human rights, treasures individual freedoms, and allows for the start of a new chapter in U.S – Cuba relations.”
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