Office of the City Clerk - Record #: R2020-612

• Record #: R2020-612
• Type: Resolution
• Status: Adopted
• Intro date: 9/9/2020
• Current Controlling Legislative Body: Committee on Health and Human Relations
• Final action: 2/24/2021
• Title: Call for end to U.S. embargo against Cuban trade and travel
• Sponsors: Sawyer, Roderick T., Tunney, Thomas, Ramirez-Rosa, Carlos, Martin, Matthew J. , Osterman, Harry, Rodriguez, Michael D., Sigcho-Lopez, Byron, Sadlowski Garza, Susan

Date	Journal Page Number	Action By	Action	Result
2/24/2021	27698	City Council	Adopted	Pass
2/17/2021		Committee on Health and Human Relations	Add Co-Sponsor(s)
2/11/2021		Committee on Health and Human Relations	Recommended to Pass
2/9/2021		Committee on Health and Human Relations	Add Co-Sponsor(s)
9/16/2020		Committee on Health and Human Relations	Add Co-Sponsor(s)
9/9/2020	20999	City Council	Referred

*A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR AN END TO THE U.S. EMBARGO AGAINST CUBAN TRADE AND TRAVEL

WHEREAS, since March 14, 1958, the United States has maintained the most enduring trade embargo in the nation's history. Initially embargoing the sale of arms to Cuba during the Fulgcncio Batista regime, an embargo on exports to Cuba except for food and medicine was further imposed on October 19,1960 after a successful revolution led to the deposition of the Batista regime and the installation of a regime by Fidel Castro who ordered the nationalization (without compensation) of Cuban oil refineries owned by United States corporations. On February 7, 1962 the embargo was again escalated to include almost all exports as relations with Castro continued to deteriorate; and
WHEREAS, on December 17, 2014, U.S. President BarackObaina and current Cuban President Raul Castro executed an agreement to reestablish diplomatic relations and cooperation between the two countries on certain matters of mutual interest. Despite executive decisions by President Obama easing some restrictive regulations, the main portions of the embargo affecting trade and travel continue in force; and
WHEREAS, full restoration of trade and travel between the two countries would be of great benefit to both, particularly in the areas of food production, economic opportunities, education, health care, tourism, the arts, music, and sports along with medical and biotechnological research; and
WHEREAS, the City of Chicago would greatly benefit by the restoration of trade with the Republic of Cuba, through permitting the export of industrial and agricultural products to this neighboring nation of 11 million people and the importation of Cuban products useful to Chicago such as life-saving medicines Herberprot-p and CIMAvax; and
WHEREAS, businesses and institutions in Chicago have expressed a very strong interest in providing their products and services to Cuba, importing Cuban products, and cooperating with Cuban institution...