In the face of ongoing global turmoil, we find ourselves at a critical juncture, where silence is complicity and action is imperative. We stand in solidarity with the oppressed, the voiceless, and the marginalized. We understand that the ongoing U.S.-supported violence in Palestine as well as the U.S.-imposed sanctions in the Americas are haunting echoes of misguided foreign policies reflecting a disturbing pattern of contempt for human life and complete disregard for international law.
In the Americas, the imposition of sanctions, combined with hybrid warfare interventions in countries like Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, has led to the deaths of innocent people, widespread suffering, emigration, and billions of dollars in asset theft. These sanctions violate international and humanitarian law, disrupting elected governments’ efforts to provide access to essential resources, and causing immeasurable pain.
Here’s how you can make a difference:
Participate in our October Advocacy Day
Date: Thursday, October 26, 2023
Time: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EST
Meeting point: Room 454, Cannon Building at 8:45 am
Congressional Briefing: 9:00 – 10:00 am EST
Step 1: RSVP to receive crucial information about Advocacy Day
Step 2: Find your congressperson here
Step 3: Reach out to your representatives to schedule a meeting on October 26, 2023, from 12 pm – 4 pm EST
(access our toolkit for resources & tips on setting up an advocacy meeting)
Let us come together on October 26 and deliver a resounding message: DO NOT IMPOSE COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT IN OUR NAME! SANCTIONS KILL!
Sign up for campaign updates & opportunities
Americas Without Sanctions is not just an event; it’s a movement – a collective call to end the suffering caused by policies that prioritize power over people. Join us!
What are these coercive measures doing to our neighbors in the Americas?
Cuba: The United States’ embargo has been likened to a medieval siege or blockade, and has cost the Cuban economy US$154.2 billion over the past 60 years. In 2021, President Trump spuriously added Cuba to the State Sponsors of Terrorism list (SSOT), and President Biden has kept it there. This has made it even more difficult for Cuba to acquire such goods on the international market as fuel, food, construction supplies, hygiene products and medicine, and to receive humanitarian aid in the aftermath of hurricanes and the pandemic. This has led to the most serious humanitarian crisis in the island’s history. Currently Congress is considering the FORCE Act (HR 314) to codify Cuba’s placement on the SSOT.
Venezuela: U.S. sanctions, particularly on Venezuela’s oil sector since 2017, led to a 99% drop in government revenue, causing food shortages and devastating the country’s health sector. Researchers found that in just one year, 2017-2018, sanctions caused 40,000 excess deaths. Sanctions are also one of the main drivers of Venezuelan migration to the U.S. Senator Bob Menéndez plans to introduce a bill that would codify sanctions on certain sectors of Venezuela’s economy. A separate bill, S.995, the Venezuelan Democracy Act, would restrict other countries from even trading with Venezuela.
Nicaragua: Sanctions have caused Nicaragua to lose over US$1.4 billion between 2018-2021 in funding from the World Bank, IDB (Inter-American Development Bank) and IMF, impacting infrastructure projects, child nutrition and development programs, and access to safe drinking water in rural areas. A new sanctions bill, S.1881, would cripple Nicaragua’s economy and reverse steady progress made in reducing poverty and improving human development indicators under the Sandinista administration over the past 16 years. Hunger could make a comeback in the country with the third lowest GDP per capita in the hemisphere.
