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United Methodist Resolution 316. End the U.S. Embargo of Cuba The United Methodist Church is linked in Christ with The Methodist Church of Cuba. We share a common heritage and mission. We are mutually responsible for the proclamation of God's love and the nurturing of neighbor love. We celebrate the continued growth of The Methodist Church of Cuba. We acknowledge the difficulties that our two churches continue to face in their mission partnership due to the U.S. embargo and the lack of diplomatic relationships between the two countries. For over 44 years, the government of the United States has not maintained diplomatic relations with the Cuban government and has, instead, pursued an economic embargo prohibiting trade with Cuba and controlling very tightly travel to that country. The Democracy Act of 1992 (22 U.S.C. 6001) and the 1996 Helms/Burton Act tightened the embargo and brought about additional suffering to the people of Cuba. In addition to that, the embargo has failed its stated purpose of bringing political change to Cuba after all these years. The United Methodist Church has long advocated for an improved relationship between Cuba and the U.S. The Methodist Church in 1964 made a historical statement entitled "The Re-examination of Policy Toward Mainline China, Cuba and Other Countries," which said: "The Christian gospel involves reconciliation by encounter and by communication regardless of political considerations. Therefore, we cannot accept the expression of hostility by any country, its policies, or its ideologies as excuses for the failure of Christians to press persistently, realistically, and creatively toward a growing understanding among the peoples of all countries." There are many groups in the United States desiring the end of the United States embargo against Cuba. Among them, U.S. farmers and other business concerns that went through the recently allowed, but very cumbersome, licensing process imposed by the U.S. government to permit sales of food products to Cuba resulting in sales of over $125,000,000.00 by the end of 2002. This development was a step in the right direction, which we celebrate on the basis of the United Methodist-stated position that embargoes of food and medicines should not be part of any country's policies. Individuals and organizations—religious, academic, business—want to exercise their constitutional right to travel freely to Cuba. In 2001 alone, over 176,000 U.S. citizens traveled to Cuba, and some are facing steep fines for not adhering to the embargo travel restrictions. The General Assembly of the United Nations has overwhelmingly approved, every year since 1992, a resolution called "The Necessity of Ending the Economic, Commercial, and Financial Embargo Imposed by the United States of America Against Cuba." The latest of these, in December 2002, passed by a vote of 173 to 3, demonstrating the international community's concern for what it calls the "adverse effects of the embargo on the Cuban people and on Cuban nationals living in other countries" (UN resolution 57/11 of December 16, 2002). WHEREAS, the Council of Churches of Cuba, of which The Methodist Church of Cuba is a member; the Cuban Conference of Roman Catholic Bishops; and several other international religious groups and leaders such as CIEMAL [Council of Evangelical Methodist Churches of Latin America and the Caribbean], the Caribbean Conference of Churches, and Pope John Paul II, as well as U.S. religious bodies such as the United Church of Christ, the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the American Baptist Churches have stated or passed resolutions in favor of lifting the embargo; and WHEREAS, we acknowledge that the embargo also curtails religious freedom by making very difficult the relationship between churches in the United States and churches in Cuba; and WHEREAS, we believe that stopping the hostility generated by the U.S. embargo policies would facilitate improvements in democratic reforms and human rights in Cuba; and WHEREAS, we reaffirm the Bible teachings and mandate to "love one another, because love is from God" (1 John 4:7), and to practice mercy as the good Samaritan did (Luke 10:25-37); Therefore, be it resolved, that The United Methodist Church, from its Christian and humanitarian perspective, inspired by the love of God and the historic Methodist commitment to peace and social justice, and in light of historic changes with the end of the Cold War, hereby petitions the President and Congress of the United States to lift its economic embargo against Cuba and any other regulations, practices or measures enforcing the embargo law and to seek negotiations with the Cuban government for the purpose of resuming normal diplomatic relations. Note: The United States broke diplomatic relations with Cuba on January 3, 1961. A partial trade embargo against Cuba by the U.S. government was declared on October 19, 1960. On July 8, 1963, "the Treasury Department, using its authority under the Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917, issued more restrictive Cuba Assets Control Regulations." (Cuban Foreign Relations, A Chronology, 1959-1982). Adopted 2004 See Social Principles, ¶ 165A and D. |