Washington DC - Dozens of lawmakers, labor leaders, and organizations are calling on outgoing President Joe Biden to remove Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSOT) list and ease sanctions before leaving office.

"Today, Cuba faces an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Widespread power outages, severe food shortages, and an overwhelmed healthcare system have brought daily life to a breaking point. This hardship has been intensified by recent hurricanes and earthquakes, which have only added to the urgency of the crisis, leaving countless Cubans even more vulnerable," reads a new letter to Biden, dated December 5.

These conditions have been made worse, the letter says, by former President Donald Trump's decision to put Cuba back on the SSOT list in 2021 after it was removed by the Obama-Biden administration in 2015. The designation comes with a host of damaging sanctions.

The Trump administration claimed at the time that the move was due to Cuba's refusal to extradite 10 members of Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN), which the US government classifies as a terrorist organization. The ELN members had gone to the country to take part in internationally recognized peace negotiations.

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"We urge you, President Biden, to take the first step in removing Cuba from the SSOT list and to ease the additional sanctions imposed during the previous administration," the new letter states.

Signatories include more than 50 current and former state and local elected officials from California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The lawmakers were joined by labor leaders and dozens of partner organizations, including the United Auto Workers International Union, DSA Cuba Solidarity, The People's Forum, CODEPINK, Veterans for Peace, and many more.

Thursday's letter follows an October 30 vote that saw the 193-member United Nations General Assembly condemn the American embargo of Cuba for the 32nd year. The US and Israel were the only countries in opposition.

The Eisenhower administration first imposed the embargo in 1960 after the Cuban Revolution, which saw socialist, anti-imperialist leader Fidel Castro overthrow US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista and nationalize private land and businesses. The blockade was expanded and strengthened two years later under President John F. Kennedy.

In a United Nations press release, Cuba's Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla said the cumulative toll of the embargo amounts to around $1.499 trillion in damage when adjusted for inflation.

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"The embargo is more than a failed policy – it is a moral injustice and a violation of international law. Every day it continues, ordinary Cubans suffer from preventable food shortages, inadequate medical supplies, and worsening economic conditions," the coalition letter reads.

"With the added urgency of recent hurricanes and earthquakes, along with the potential return to Trump-era policies, we implore you, President Biden, to act now. Take the first step to remove Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list, ease the sanctions imposed during the previous administration, send humanitarian aid to Cuba, and take immediate steps to end the embargo once and for all."

"The time for change is long overdue, and we are ready to build a future of solidarity and mutual respect with the Cuban people."