Cuba's chance (Avaaz)

Dear friends,

This weekend, at the Summit of the Americas, the US has a real chance to turn the page on almost half a century of divisive politics in the region.

International and regional leaders, the UN, and an increasing number of US citizens condemn a US embargo that has punished ordinary Cubans for decades.

The US has taken initial positive steps, but strong international pressure by this weekend will send a clear signal to President Obama that it is time to decisively replace the failed policies of the past with a real dialogue.
Click below to sign the Petition to lift the embargo - our message and number of signatures will be sailed right past the Americas Summit on a giant sail-boat banner:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/lift_cuba_embargo

When the United States put its first embargo on Cuba in 1960, the policy's supporters claimed it would accelerate democracy and human rights. A half-century later, the claim has proven hollow, and has caused immeasurable economic harm to ordinary Cubans blocking agricultural and medical supplies, new technology, information and ideas.

Some argue that as long as the embargo exists, the Cuban government can blame it instead of being forced to address its own systemic failures and serious breaches of freedom of speech, association and dissension.

Today there is more hope than ever that Cuban - US relations can change, with implications for the whole region. Across Latin America leaders are calling on President Obama to initiate a new beginning. In the US, recent surveys find that three quarters of US citizens want their government to shift away from the policy of isolation, and even previously hard-line Cuban exile groups are calling for change.

At this moment, as the United States and the region responds to Obama's tentative first steps, our voices have a critical role to play. If we remain silent, we risk ceding the debate to polarizing forces in the US and in Latin America who fear a reconciliation.

Sign the Petition of the Americas now, send this message to friends, and watch for the Avaaz sailboat in Trinidad on Saturday:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/lift_cuba_embargo

With hope,

Luis, Alice, Paula, Graziela, Ben, Raj, Iain, Ricken, Brett, Paul, Margaret, Pascal, Taren and the rest of the Avaaz team.

PS: See more information below:

Obama Lifts Broad Set Of Sanctions Against Cuba, Washington Post, Tuesday, April 14, 2009:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/04/13/ST2009041303010.html

A new CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll showing that three-quarters of Americans surveyed think the US should end its five-decade estrangement with Cuba:
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/10/poll.cuba/

Leading organization for Cuban exiles calling on the White House to expand relations with Cuba's government,
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/us/politics/09cuba.html?em/

Human Rights Watch report "Families Torn Apart: The High Cost of U.S. and Cuban Travel Restrictions", includes recommendation to the the U.S. government to terminate the economic embargo on Cuba:
http://www.hrw.org/en/node/80478/section/1

Fwd by
John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>