Deputy Caridad Diego, head of the Bureau of Religious Affairs of the Communist Party Central Committee, pointed out on Twitter that the island’s religious institutions have the right to practice their faith in accordance with the law and with respect for all.
He added that believers and non-believers participate in the development of society as part of the people they belong to, assuring that many activities that this sector organizes have been and will be as part of the freedom of religion that the Constitution supports.
“We oppose the inclusion of Cuba in this arbitrary list to which the United States government has included us,” he said.
In response to his tweet, the Quisicuaba Project also condemned Washington’s stance, noting that the Caribbean nation has a secular state that guarantees freedom of religion and has never attacked any form of expression of faith.
Last Friday, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez rejected the arbitrary designation of the country in the list drawn up by the US government, which “has to resort to dishonest allegations to maintain its untenable policy of abuse against the Cuban people.”
“It is known that there is freedom of religion in Cuba,” he said.
On December 2, the Caribbean nation and Nicaragua were added to a unilateral Washington list of countries that the administration believes are systematically violating religious freedom, with the potential for sanctions.
According to press reports, China, DPRK, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan are included in the State Department’s annual list of “countries of special concern”.
As determined by Washington, the countries appearing on its random list are subject to possible sanctions such as suspension of scientific and cultural exchanges, suspension of development aid, freezing of loans or export restrictions.
or/kmg