Declaration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejects in the most categorical terms the certification made by the US State Department that Cuba does not fully cooperate with the US counterterrorism efforts, announced on May 25, 2021 in the Federal Register of that country.
The government of Donald Trump had issued this same qualification on June 2, 2020, as a preliminary step for the inclusion of Cuba in the State Department's list of States that supposedly 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 his behavior towards our country.
It is a totally unfounded accusation and used for political purposes, which attempts to justify the attacks against Cuba, including the inhumane economic, commercial and financial blockade suffered by our people.
The Ministry also rejects the unilateral and selective US practice of singling out countries on arbitrary lists with respect to terrorism, which lacks any legitimacy and is contrary to International Law and the Charter of the United Nations.
Our country has been the victim of 713 terrorist acts, most of them organized, financed and executed by the United States 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 and incapacitated 2,099 Cuban citizens. Human and economic damages are estimated at $ 181 billion.
The Ministry of Foreign Relations recalls the various acts against Cuban personnel and representations abroad; Among them, the one executed on April 30, 2020, with the machine-gunning of our Embassy in Washington DC, which endangered the life and safety of the members of the diplomatic mission. The United States government has yet to publicly acknowledge 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 has expressed its willingness to cooperate with US authorities as it does with other countries. It is something that the US government knows perfectly well. There are concrete examples of this will, 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 unfriendly and dishonest acts, politically motivated.
The government of President Joseph Biden has publicly said that although Cuba is not a high priority issue, a process of reviewing the policy towards our country is underway.
If Cuba is not a priority and this review has not concluded, how does the State Department explain the unfounded and mendacious singularity of our country with respect to the issue of terrorism; How do you justify continuing to apply the 243 unilateral coercive measures adopted by the Trump administration, which include increased financial persecution and other extraterritorial measures?
The Secretary of State should confess that it is the US authorities that have refused to cooperate with Cuba in the fight against terrorism, which is duly documented. The US government has never returned to our country a single fugitive from Cuban justice, nor has it even tried any of them for crimes and terrorist acts committed against our people and citizens of other countries.
The inclusion of Cuba in the list of countries that "do not cooperate fully" with US efforts against terrorism constitutes 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.