The Government of Cuba described this Friday as “arbitrary and unilateral” the latest report from the United States in which he decided to keep Cuba among the countries sponsoring terrorism for one more year.
“In its arbitrary and unilateral report on terrorism, the US insists, with increasingly fewer arguments, “in slandering Cuba to justify its hostile policy of economic asphyxiation”said the Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodríguez, on his account on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
(Read also: The energetic call that Cuba made to the US regarding undocumented immigrants: “there is an agreement”).
The island’s chancellor considered that “offends immorality and insults unpunished abuse in the face of heroic resistance” of the Cuban people.
The State Department kept Cuba on its list of countries sponsoring terrorism – the island was included in 2021– along with Syria, Iran and North Korea, which implies the imposition of a series of sanctions by Washington.
The Cuban president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, insists on demanding that the United States remove his country from the list, whose inclusion he considers unjustified and has serious economic implications for the island.
The inclusion of the Caribbean country in that list in January 2021 It was one of the last decisions taken by the Administration of Republican Donald Trump (2017-2021) before leaving the White House.
The United States then justified the measure by referring to the presence on the island of members of the Colombian guerrilla of the National Liberation Army (ELN), who traveled to Havana to begin peace negotiations with the Government of Colombia.
The Administration of Democrat Joe Biden considers in its report published this Thursday that “The Cuban Government did not formally respond to the extradition requests” of the ELN leaders Pablo Tejada and Pablo Beltrán presented by Colombia.
(Continue reading: The UN General Assembly votes in favor of ending the US embargo on Cuba).
He also claims that “Cuba also continues to harbor several American fugitives from justice wanted on charges related to political violence, many of whom have resided in Cuba for decades.”
To designate a country as a sponsor of terrorism, US law requires the Secretary of State to determine that the US government has repeatedly provided support to terrorist groups.
This designation implies the prohibition of arms sales with that country, greater control of its exports, restrictions on foreign aid, increased visa requirements and various economic sanctions.
(We recommend: Why would visiting Cuba prevent you from entering the United States? The little-known rule.)
Cuba had been part of the list since 1982 but left it in 2015, during the rapprochement stage promoted by then-US President Barack Obama. (2009-2017) and stopped by Trump, who during his mandate redoubled the sanctions on Havana and stopped the “thaw.”
The Biden Administration has shown some gestures towards the island, such as the elimination of the remittance limit for Cuba, but it is still far from the approach that Obama favored.
EFE
#Cuba #rejects #decision #list #sponsors #terrorism