(EFE).- The Cuban government described this Friday as “arbitrary and one-sided” the recent report by the United States in which it decided to include Cuba among the countries that support terrorism for another year.
“In its arbitrary and one-sided report on terrorism, the United States insists, with ever fewer arguments, on slandering Cuba in order to justify its hostile policy of economic asphyxiation,” said Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez in his report social network X (formerly Twitter) .
The island’s foreign minister said that “it insults the immorality and the impunity of abuse in the face of the heroic resistance” of the Cuban people.
The State Department kept Cuba along with Syria, Iran and North Korea on its list of countries supporting terrorism – the island was added in 2021 – implying the imposition of a series of sanctions by Washington.
The State Department kept Cuba on its list of countries supporting terrorism, along with Syria, Iran and North Korea – the island was added in 2021
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel insists on calling on the United States to remove his country from the list, whose inclusion he considers unjustified and having a serious economic impact on the island.
The inclusion of Cuba on this list in January 2021 was one of the last decisions of the administration of Republican Donald Trump (2017-2021) before leaving the White House.
The United States then justified the measure by the presence on the island of members of the Colombian guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN), who traveled to Havana to begin peace negotiations with the Colombian government.
The administration of Democrat Joe Biden considers in its report published on Thursday that “the Cuban government has not officially responded to the extradition requests submitted by Colombia” of ELN leaders Pablo Tejada and Pablo Beltrán.
It also denounces that “Cuba continues to host several American fugitives from justice accused of political violence, many of whom have lived in Cuba for decades.”
“Cuba continues to host several American fugitives from justice wanted for political violence, many of whom have lived in Cuba for decades.”
Under U.S. law, to designate a country as a sponsor of terrorism, the secretary of state must determine that the U.S. government has repeatedly supported terrorist groups.
This designation implies a ban on arms sales with this country, greater control of its exports, restrictions on foreign aid, stricter visa requirements and various economic sanctions.
Cuba had been part of the list since 1982, but left it in 2015, during the rapprochement period promoted by then US President Barack Obama (2009-2017), which was stopped by Trump, who during his term in office doubled sanctions against Havana and the “thawing” .
The Biden administration has made some gestures toward the island, such as removing the remittance restriction on Cuba, but it is still far from the approach favored by Obama.
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