The Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejects in the most categorical terms the certification by the U.S. State Department that Cuba does not fully cooperate with U.S. anti-terrorism efforts, announced on May 25, 2021 in the U.S. Federal Register.
The government of Donald Trump had issued this same qualification on June 2, 2020, as a previous step for the inclusion of Cuba in the State Department's list of States that allegedly sponsor international terrorism, which was made public on January 11, 2021, a few days before the inauguration of President Joseph Biden and with the clear purpose of conditioning the conduct of the latter towards our country.
This is a totally unfounded accusation used for political purposes, which attempts to justify the aggressions against Cuba, including the inhumane economic, commercial and financial blockade suffered by our people.
The Ministry also rejects the unilateral and selective U.S. practice of singling out countries in arbitrary lists with respect to terrorism, which lacks any legitimacy and is contrary to International Law and the United Nations Charter.
Our country has been the victim of 713 terrorist acts, mostly organized, financed and executed by the U.S. government or by individuals and organizations that receive refuge or act with impunity in that territory. These acts have cost the lives of 3,478 people and caused disabilities to 2,099 Cuban citizens. The human and economic damages are estimated at 181 billion dollars.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recalls the various acts against Cuban personnel and representations abroad, among them the one carried out on April 30, 2020, with the machine-gunning of our Embassy in Washington DC, which endangered the lives and safety of the members of the diplomatic mission. The U.S. government has not yet publicly acknowledged the terrorist nature of that attack.
Cuba endorses in its Constitution the repudiation and condemnation of terrorism in any of its forms and manifestations. It has maintained a transparent and impeccable attitude in the fight against terrorism, as well as it has expressed its willingness to cooperate with U.S. authorities as it does with other countries. The U.S. government is well aware of this. There are concrete examples of this willingness, within the framework of existing bilateral instruments and under international law. It maintains its commitment to the peace process in Colombia, despite being the victim of repeated politically motivated acts of unfriendliness and dishonesty.
The administration of President Joseph Biden has publicly stated that although Cuba is not a high priority issue, a process of review of the policy towards our country is underway.
If Cuba is not a priority and this review has not been concluded, how does the State Department explain the unfounded and mendacious singling out of our country with respect to the issue of terrorism; how does it justify the continued application of the 243 unilateral coercive measures adopted by the Trump administration, which include increased financial persecution and other measures of an extraterritorial nature?
The Secretary of State should confess that it is the U.S. authorities that have refused to cooperate with Cuba in confronting terrorism, which is duly documented. The U.S. government has never returned to our country a single one of the fugitives from Cuban justice, nor has it even tried any of them for the crimes and terrorist acts committed against our people and citizens of other countries.
The inclusion of Cuba on the list of countries that "do not fully cooperate" with U.S. efforts against terrorism is an irresponsible and shameful action.
Cuba will not change its commitment to peace and will persist in its efforts in the fight against terrorism.
Havana, May 27, 2021.