February 21, 2023
City Council
DATE: February 21, 2023
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Vice Mayor Gayle McLaughlin
Subject:
Resolution urging that Cuba be removed from U.S. list of State Sponsors of Terrorism
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact to adopting this resolution
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
Richmond has passed resolutions in the past in support
of normalizing relations with Cuba including 1) calling for ending the embargo on Cuba, adopted on March 1, 2016,
and 2) in support of the Saving Lives Campaign for
scientific collaboration with Cuba regarding COVID-19
adopted on May 5, 2020.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
In 2015, former President Obama removed Cuba from
the State Sponsors of Terrorism list and in 2021, days
before he left office, former President Trump put Cuba
back on this list. This resolution calls on President Biden and Congress to remove Cuba from this list once again
and recommit to the normalization of relations with Cuba.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT a Richmond City Council resolution urging that
Cuba be removed from U.S. list of State Sponsors of
Terrorism; and DIRECT City staff to send a copy of the
resolution and a cover letter to President Biden and our congressional delegation – Vice Mayor Gayle McLaughlin
(510-620-6636).
AGENDA
REPORT
February 21, 2023
DISCUSSION:
Richmond has a sister city relationship with Regla, Cuba established in September 1999.
Since its inception, the Richmond/Regla Friendship Committee has continued to advance its mission of fostering friendship with the people of Regla and Cuba through the exchange of mutually beneficial ideas, and sharing of cultural, educational, and humanitarian resources.
The committee has promoted normalizing relations with Cuba for many years, and the Richmond City Council has adopted various resolutions toward this end, including a resolution in support of ending the U.S. embargo/blockade on Cuba in 2015 and in support of the Saving Lives Campaign for scientific collaboration with Cuba regarding COVID-19 in 2020.
In addition, Richmond has welcomed various delegations of Cubans to Richmond and the Bay Area over the years and we have made two official delegations from Richmond to Cuba (one in 1999 and on in 2013).
This resolution continues to convey support for normalizing relations with Cuba by calling on President Biden and Congress to remove Cuba from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism as had been done by former President Obama in 2015.
The resolution directs Citystaff to send a copy of the resolution and a cover letter to:
President Biden via Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affair, and also to our congressional delegation - Congressmember John Garamendi, Senator Alex Padilla and Senator Dianne Feinstein.
In addition, the resolution direct City staff to send out a press release (in conjunction with the Richmond/Regla Friendship Committee) regarding the details of this resolution to City of Richmond media contacts.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Draft Resolution