Alliance for Cuba Engagement and Respect
The Alliance for Cuba Engagement and Respect (ACERE) was created in 2020 out of an ad hoc coalition formed to push Congress for an urgent easing of the sanctions against the island — which were tightened by the current Trump administration — to help Cubans confront the economic crisis caused by necessary pandemic response measures.
This experience demonstrated the urgent need for a permanent coalition of pro-normalization voices focused on impacting policy in D.C.
You can read about ACERE’s founding in coverage by The Intercept and others in “ACERE In The News”, as well as by organizations such as the National Network on Cuba and the Wisconsin Coalition to Normalize Relations with Cuba .
The acronym ACERE (pronounced ah-seh-reh) is a play on one of the most commonly used words in Cuba — slang for “friend” — and has its origins in the African efik language.
The people of Cuba have long been suffering under an economic, commercial and financial embargo by the United States that places restrictions on food, medicine, and economic support from relatives. President Trump not only reversed President Obama’s move to strengthen relations but further tightened restrictions. After six decades of failed policy, our coalitions demands the Biden administration pursue a different path forward.
About us
ACERE is a coalition of organizations and individuals who believe that indiscriminate sanctions are not the right response to the decades-long conflict and ideological differences between the U.S. and Cuba.
Our members are engaged in advocacy efforts to change U.S. policy toward Cuba. Some are inspired by the values of their faith, while others help promote the interests of the business community or are concerned about their right to freely travel to the island.
All members of ACERE believe that engagement and respect for Cuba's sovereignty—as opposed to outdated restrictions and aggressive rhetoric—provide a better approach for promoting constructive relations between the two countries.
ACERE will be a steady presence in Washington that will help channel the energy of thousands of activists across the country to achieve policy change that will lead to an eventual end of the embargo and promote engagement and mutual respect between the U.S. and Cuba.
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Our Mission
ACERE’s mission is to channel grassroots advocacy to policy changes that promote positive and respectful relations between Cuba and the United States.
Our Values
We support the normalization of relations with Cuba.
- We oppose any U.S. government policy designed to increase the economic suffering of the Cuban people or undermine their political, economic, social and cultural rights.
- We call for a total lifting of the U.S. economic, financial and commercial embargo (also known as a blockade), including its extra-territorial reach which interferes with trade between Cuba and third countries. Cuba should be free to trade with businesses in the United States and worldwide, and neither U.S. nor foreign businesses or states should face or fear any sanctions or repercussions for engaging in trade with Cuban entities.
- We oppose all restrictions on travel to Cuba and consider them a violation of our First as well as Fifth Amendment rights and a violation of international human rights law.
- We support and encourage increased people-to-people contact between individuals residing in the U.S. and the Cuban people.
- We promote bilateral dialogue and work to dismantle barriers between advocates and organizations in the U.S. and Cuba, with an emphasis on members of historically marginalized groups.
- We support and empower Cuban-Americans who want to normalize relations with the island.
- We do not dictate to the Cuban people what form of government or economic system best serves their needs and interests. As a sovereign nation, Cuba has a right to determine its own direction and future, even when we disagree.
- We oppose policies, practices and rhetoric that interferes, whether overtly or covertly, in Cuba domestic affairs and undermine the Cuban people’s right to self-determination.
- We are non-partisan and non-sectarian. ACERE is not affiliated with and does not support any political party or candidate.
Our Main Lines of Work
ACERE focusses its work around three main areas:
- Education of the broader US public
- Connecting grassroots organizations to education and advocacy efforts.
- Contributing to one or more of these areas of work, ACERE offers or facilitates the following activities:
- Action Alerts
- Advocacy Letters
- Statements
- Briefings
- Newsletter
- Resources like Factsheets Advocacy Toolkits, Talking Points, Media Content, Background Documents, etc.
- Press Releases