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HAVANA, Cuba, – The government of Cuba says it is not happy with its designation by the United States as a “State Sponsor of Terrorism,” a characterization issued under the Trump administration which was recently renewed on the 23rd of May by the Biden Administration.
We urge the world’s parliaments to join in this international call and to denounce the unjust labeling of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism and a state that does not fully cooperate with US counter-terrorism efforts. Cuba doesn’t shelter terrorist people, nor supports those who do this practice.
The Cuban Government has called on “the US Congress, to listen to the majority sentiment of broad sectors within the US society that advocate an end to this outdated policy and seek the development of mutually beneficial ties with Cuba.
In a statement issued by the International Relations Commission of Cuba’s National Assembly, the Cuban Government said the characterization of Cuba as a country that “does not fully cooperate” with the anti-terrorist efforts of the United States, issued by the Department of State in May has done irreparable harm to that country.
According to the Cuban Government, “This is an action which, together with remaining on the unilateral and spurious List of State Sponsors of Terrorism, has the sole purpose of trying to justify the inhumane measures of economic warfare suffered by the Cuban people at the hands of the United States.
Cuba pointed out that as a country with an exemplary performance in the fight against terrorism, the designation has been universally rejected by the United Nations General Assembly, and the US efforts to isolate Cuba.
“Prolonging this deceitful designation by President Trump’s government has multiplied the severe effects of the blockade, intensified with extreme measures since 2019 to cut off all sources of income to the Cuban population and to hinder with new obstacles the functioning of the services it receives, including Health and Education,” Cuba says.
The Cuban National Assembly said “the punitive actions resulting from this arbitrary and unjustified measure have caused a significant increase in the number of banks in third countries that, for fear of reprisals from the US Government, have suspended their operations with Cuba, including transfers for the purchase of food, medicines, fuel, spare parts for the national energy system and other goods for the population.”
“In the health sector alone, it has not been possible to reach the production levels of the country’s basic list of medicines, due to the impossibility of making payments for the necessary raw materials and supplies.
“At the same time, there are increasing difficulties in accessing medical technologies with more than 10% US components, which are essential for the treatment of our people, and there is a growing need to resort to alternative transport routes at a high additional cost. This situation has led to multiple shortages in the national health system,” Cuna noted.
“As a further consequence of the inclusion in the List of State Sponsors of Terrorism, nationals of countries benefiting from the ESTA system cannot benefit from online registration and have to formally apply for a visa to enter the US if they have travelled to Cuba after 1 March 2011. This is a direct attack on tourism, a strategic sector for our economy.”
“Agencies linked to law enforcement and national security issues in the United States have experience working with Cuba and have participated directly in exchanges with our country. It is contradictory to state that Cuba does not cooperate with US anti-terrorist efforts, when there are concrete examples of cooperation between Cuban and US authorities to confront terrorism within the framework of existing bilateral instruments and under international law.
“The US Government must listen to the countless voices around the world condemning the unjust decision to brand Cuba as a State sponsor of terrorism. In their own territory, important trade union groups, civil rights bodies, local governments, lawyers’ guilds, among others, have passed more than 80 resolutions calling on President Biden’s government to put an end to the blockade against Cuba and to the designation of our country on the List. Many US congressmen have joined this request,” the Cuban Government noted.
Obama had removed Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, a roster created by the State Department after regular assessment of a country’s actions such as attacking civilians or destabilizing other nations. The State Department at the time said that while it retained “significant concerns and disagreements with a wide range of Cuba’s policies and actions,” those no longer rose to the level of state-sponsored terrorism.
Trump, Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and other senior administration officials had rolled back many of Obama’s signature actions accuseing Cuba of being a tyrannical dictatorship, even after longtime leader Raul Castro stepped down and was replaced by President Miguel Diaz-Canel.(WiredAJ)
