Alliance for Cuba Engagement and Respect
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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 grassroots coalition focused on impacting policy in DC.
You can read about activists’ effort to ease sanctions on Cuba during that pandemic, which led to the formation of ACERE:
- The National Interest, “Progressives Next Fight: Cuba Sanctions”, July 29, 2020.
- The Intercept, “Congress Put the Brakes on Cuba Relief to Protect Front-Line Democrat”, August 3, 2020.
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 blockade by the United States that places restrictions on food, medicine, and even economic support from relatives. President Trump not only reversed President Obama’s move to strengthen relations but further tightened the blockade. After 60 years of failed policy, it is time to demand a different path forward.