To: President Donald Trump, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate

Repeal the Helms-Burton Act and lift the embargo against Cuba!

We petition the US government to repeal the Helms-Burton Act and lift the embargo against Cuba. The Helms-Burton Act makes it more difficult to lift the embargo and it deepens the restrictions against trade with Cuba. It hurts people in the US and in Cuba, as well as people in countries around the world. It is a stain on the reputation of the USA.

Why is this important?

The embargo against Cuba and the Helms-Burton Act hurt people in the US, Cuba and people around the world. These vicious policies restrict trade as well as the exchange of scientific, medical and cultural information. US companies cannot sell their products to Cuba and people in the US cannot buy Cuban products. Cuba has many innovative medicines for which people in the US have no access. For example, the Cubans have developed cancer fighting drugs, drugs which treat the effects of diabetes and drugs which reduce cholesterol. As a person recovering from cancer, my rights are being violated since I have no access to medicines which might help me. My rights are also violated since these policies make it difficult for me to travel to Cuba and benefit from scientific and cultural exchanges. It is past time to normalize relations with one of our closest neighbors. "Love thy neighbor as thyself." "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."