Senior Cuban officials announced on Wednesday an update to the national list of individuals and entities subject to criminal investigations and sought by the island's authorities for terrorism links.
During a press conference in Havana, authorities announced that a letter was delivered to the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) listing the names of individuals and entities involved "in promoting, planning, organizing, financing, supporting, or committing acts carried out in the national territory or in other countries for the purpose of terrorism."
This updates the list initially issued on December 7, 2023, in compliance with the 19 international counter-terrorism conventions to which Cuba is a party.
The Caribbean nation reaffirms its willingness to collaborate multilaterally and bilaterally in confronting this scourge, based on transparency, professionalism, and seriousness—despite inaction by U.S. authorities due to political considerations.
Cuba highlights that, through the Dialogue mechanism and the Memorandum of Understanding between the Cuban and U.S. governments, the island has facilitated cooperation to counter terrorism.
However, it denounces that the U.S. government, particularly Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has silenced this mechanism, which in the past proved that cooperation to combat terrorism is possible despite differences.
The Official Gazette of the Republic today published the Resolution of the Ministry of the Interior (MININT), which includes 62 individuals and 20 entities for whom there are grounds and sufficient evidence to pursue criminal investigations for committing terrorist acts against the Cuban people.
Rise in Violent and Terrorist Actions Against Cuba
At Wednesday’s press conference, Colonel Álvarez Valle of MININT’s Criminal Investigation Directorate explained that this is an update to the list first published on December 7, 2023. He stated:
"With this step, Cuba complies with and honors its commitments under UN Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001), international law, and domestic legislation."
The senior officer noted that MININT’s competent bodies have continued tracking and neutralizing repeated violent acts planned, organized, and financed by individuals on this list—many residing in the U.S. He added that cyberterrorism and the weaponization of social media to incite violence against government institutions are now included in counter-terrorism efforts.
Cuba’s Compliance with International Obligations
Eduard Roberts Campbell (Chief Prosecutor, Attorney General’s Office) and Alexis Batista Segrera (Director of International Relations, Ministry of Justice) reiterated Cuba’s adherence to all 19 international counter-terrorism conventions and UN Security Council resolutions. They emphasized Cuba’s legal and institutional measures to combat terrorism and its readiness for "professional, serious, and transparent" multilateral/bilateral cooperation.
U.S. Inaction Denounced
Deputy Foreign Minister Josefina Vidal Ferreiro announced Cuba submitted the updated list to the UN Secretary-General under Resolution 1373:
"We are fulfilling our commitments, as we have always done. There is a history of inaction by U.S. authorities for blatant political reasons."
She condemned the U.S. suspension of bilateral law enforcement dialogue despite its past effectiveness, stressing:
"Cuban law enforcement agencies regularly provide data—including names and locations—of individuals promoting, financing, and organizing violent/terrorist acts in Cuba. Yet the response from U.S. counterparts and the State Department’s political will to act or coordinate with Cuba has been nonexistent."
Vidal concluded:
"The paradox is that the U.S. designates Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism without any international mandate, while impartial observers see which government truly encourages, supports, and tolerates terrorism—and which country has fought it while being its victim for over 60 years. Violent and terrorist actions against Cuba grow, and impunity persists due to U.S. government inaction."
(With information from Cubaminrex)