WASHINGTON, DC—Representative Eliot L. Engel, the leading Democrat on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and a former Chairman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, today issued the following statement regarding President Obama’s decision to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism:

"President Obama's decision to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism is a logical step. But the story cannot end here. Having just visited Cuba, I believe the ball is now in the Cuban government's court to respond by allowing for greater political pluralism, guaranteeing freedom of speech, and ensuring that each and every Cuban political prisoner is freed. We all must redouble our efforts in support of democracy on the island."

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