December3,2013 TheHonorableBarackObama TheWhiteHouse Washington,DC20500 DearMr.President, MynameisAlanGross.Iama64yearoldU.S.citizen.December3rdmarksthefourthanniversary ofmyimprisonmentinCuba. IcametoCubaonbehalfoftheUnitedStates,asasubcontractoronanofficialUnitedStatesAgency forInternationalDevelopmentprojecttoincreaseInternetaccessinsmallcommunitiesacrossCuba.I carriedoutmyroleintheprojectinaccordancewithmycontract.YetonDecember3,2009,Cuban officialsarrestedmeforthoseactivities.ACubancourtconcludedthatwhatIhadbeensenttoCubato doconstitutedanattempttounderminetheCubanGovernmentbydistributingcommunicationssystems notunderGovernmentcontrol.Iwasconvictedofactsagainsttheindependenceorterritorialintegrity ofthestate.Mysentenceis15years. Forfouryears,Ihavebeenconfined23hoursadaytoasmallcellwithtwofellowinmates.

Ispendmy onehouroutsideeachdayinatinyenclosedcourtyard.Idontsleepmuch,betweenmyarthritisand thelightsinmycell,whicharekepton24hoursaday.Withtheexceptionofafewphonecallsand visits,Iamcompletelyisolatedfromtheoutsideworld. Ihavelostalmosteverythinginthelastfouryears,mostofalltimewithmyfamilymywife,Judy,and mydaughters,ShiraandNina.IhavehadtoaskmydaughtersnottovisitbecauseIcannotbearthem seeingmelikethis,ashadowofmyformerself,surroundedbymenwithmachineguns.IfIdonot surviveimprisonment,Idonotwantthistobethelastmemorytheyhaveofme.Theworstpartofthis experiencehasbeenmissingsomanyholidaysandfamilymilestones.Lastsummer,Shirawalkeddown theaisleatherweddingwithoutmebyherside.Ninahasputpartsofherlifeonholdawaitingmy return.Asafatheryourself,youcanimaginehowpainfulthisis. Myfamilyhassufferedtremendouslytheselastfouryears.Shirabattledbreastcanceratjust26years old,andmymotherhasbeendiagnosedwithterminallungcancer.Mybusinessandcareerhavebeen destroyed,soIhavebeenunabletosupportmyfamily,andmywifehadtosellourfamilyhome. Throughallofthesetragedies,Ihavebeenabsent.Iampowerlesstohelp. AsIreflectontheselastfouryears,Ifindmyselfaskingthesamequestionwhy?WhyamIstillhere? Withtheutmostrespect,Mr.President,IfearthatmygovernmenttheverygovernmentIwasserving whenIbeganthisnightmarehasabandonedme.Officialsinyouradministrationhaveexpressed sympathyandcalledformyunconditionalrelease,andIverymuchappreciatethat.Butithasnot broughtmehome. Itiscleartome,Mr.President,thatonlywithyourpersonalinvolvementcanmyreleasebesecured.I knowthatyouradministrationandprioradministrationshavetakenextraordinarystepstoobtainthe releaseofotherU.S.citizensimprisonedabroadevencitizenswhowerenotarrestedfortheirwork

onbehalfoftheircountry.Iaskthatyoualsotakeactiontosecuremyrelease,formysakeandforthe sakeofmyfamily.Butthatisnotall.TherearecountlessAmericansallovertheworld,someservingin uniform,othersservingindiplomaticorciviliancapacities,stillothersprivatecitizensstudyingortraveling abroad,andtheymustnotharboranydoubtthatiftheyaretakencaptiveinaforeignland,our governmentwillmoveheavenandearthtosecuretheirfreedom. Ihaveworkedincommunitydevelopmentfornearly30years.Ihavecarriedoutmissionsonbehalfof mycountrywithpride,eveninthefaceofriskstomysafety.IdidsobecauseIbelievedinmycountry, inmygovernment.Istillwanttobelievethatmygovernmentvaluesmylifeandmyservice,andthata U.S.passportmeanssomething.Irefusetoacceptthatmycountrywouldleavemebehind.Mr. President,pleasetakewhateverstepsarenecessarytobringmehome. Sincerely,

AlanGross