1. United States
2. Maine
3. Letter

Free Trade for Cuba   I am writing to express my deep concern and disapproval regarding the Trump administration’s recent threats toward other nations for engaging in free and lawful trade with Cuba. Such actions undermine international cooperation and punish the Cuban people, who have already suffered for decades under the weight of economic isolation.   An oil embargo or similar sanctions do not meaningfully pressure the Cuban leadership—they primarily harm ordinary citizens by depriving them of fuel, electricity, and essential goods. This policy, though aimed at the government, falls hardest on families, workers, and small communities struggling to build better lives.   It is profoundly hypocritical for the United States to justify these measures on ideological grounds by citing Cuba’s socialist system, while simultaneously maintaining extensive trade and investment relations with the People’s Republic of China—a one-party communist state. This inconsistency exposes these sanctions as politically motivated rather than principled, and it damages our credibility on the world stage.   I urge Congress to intervene and assert its constitutional authority over foreign policy and trade. The executive branch should not be permitted to bully our allies or weaponize economic coercion in ways that isolate the U.S. and compound human suffering abroad. It is time to pursue engagement and dialogue with Cuba—not renewed hostility.