Washington D.C. June 26 (RHC)- - As the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates prepare to take the debate stage for the first time in Miami on Wednesday and Thursday, Engage Cuba is calling the candidates to articulate their plans for improving U.S. policy toward the island.

According to an article published on its website, so far some 20 candidates are favorable to improving bilateral ties.

Initially the group had indicated that there were 19 Democratic figures interested in improving ties with the Caribbean nation, but shortly after announced on Twitter the addition of Congressman Eric Swalwell to the list.

According to Engage Cuba, the other Democratic presidential candidates who have supported the rapprochement are former Vice President Joe Biden; Senators Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, Bernie Sanders and Michael Bennet; and Congressmen Tulsi Gabbard, Tim Ryan and Seth Moulton.

They include former representatives Beto O'Rourke, John Delaney and Joe Sestak (who announced his candidacy only two days ago); Governors Jay Inslee and Steve Bullock; former Governor John Hickenlooper; mayors Bill de Blasio and Pete Buttigieg; and former Senator Mike Gravel.Instead of returning to the failed policies of the past, we should work to normalize our relations with Cuba and build a bond that benefits both countries, they said in the letter.

“We call on the presidential candidates to offer their own vision on how to support the Cuban people and not follow the same failed policies of the Trump administration. The presidential debate in Miami, home to more than one million Cuban Americans, is the perfect place for this discussion to take place. The Cuban people need our help. It’s time we have a president who stands up for them,” said James Williams, President of Engage Cuba.

Engage Cuba is a US national coalition of private companies, organizations, and local leaders dedicated to advancing federal legislation to lift the 60-year-old US blockade on the island.