The International Relations Commission denounces and firmly rejects, as fraudulent, the certification of Cuba as a country that "does not fully cooperate" with the anti-terrorist efforts of the United States, issued last May 23rd by the Department of State. This is an action which, together with remaining on the unilateral and spurious List of State Sponsors of Terrorism, has the sole purpose of trying to justify the inhuman measures of economic warfare suffered by the Cuban people, universally rejected in the United Nations General Assembly, and to isolate Cuba.
By maintaining, for political reasons, a country with an exemplary performance in the fight against terrorism on the State Department's arbitrary and unilateral lists, the US government is calling into question its commitment to the fight against this serious scourge.
Prolonging this deceitful designation by President Trump's government has multiplied the severe effects of the blockade, intensified with extreme measures since 2019 to cut off all sources of income to the Cuban population and to hinder with new obstacles the functioning of the services it receives, including Health and Education. The punitive actions resulting from this arbitrary and unjustified measure have caused a significant increase in the number of banks in third countries that, for fear of reprisals from the US Government, have suspended their operations with Cuba, including transfers for the purchase of food, medicines, fuel, spare parts for the national energy system and other goods for the population.
In the health sector alone, it has not been possible to reach the production levels of the country's basic list of medicines, due to the impossibility of making payments for the necessary raw materials and supplies. At the same time, there are increasing difficulties in accessing medical technologies with more than 10% US components, which are essential for the treatment of our people, and there is a growing need to resort to alternative transport routes at a high additional cost. This situation has led to multiple shortages in the national health system.
As a further consequence of the inclusion in the List of State Sponsors of Terrorism, nationals of countries benefiting from the ESTA system cannot benefit from online registration and have to formally apply for a visa to enter the US if they have travelled to Cuba after 1 March 2011. This is a direct attack on tourism, a strategic sector for our economy.
The United States has no morals whatsoever to accuse Cuba of sponsoring terrorism. Notorious terrorists walk the streets of South Florida with impunity and, with the support of US federal agencies, have caused hundreds of Cuban families to mourn.
Agencies linked to law enforcement and national security issues in the United States have experience working with Cuba and have participated directly in exchanges with our country. It is contradictory to state that Cuba does not cooperate with US anti-terrorist efforts, when there are concrete examples of cooperation between Cuban and US authorities to confront terrorism within the framework of existing bilateral instruments and under international law.
The US Government must listen to the countless voices around the world condemning the unjust decision to brand Cuba as a State sponsor of terrorism. In their own territory, important trade union groups, civil rights bodies, local governments, lawyers' guilds, among others, have passed more than 80 resolutions calling on President Biden's government to put an end to the blockade against Cuba and to the designation of our country on the List. Many US congressmen have joined this request.
At the regional and international level, renowned political figures, former presidents and organisations such as CELAC, the African Union and the European Union have spoken out. Recently, the high representative of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, described Cuba's designation as a measure that causes serious problems for the country's economic development, while at the same time making it difficult for EU bloc companies with a presence in Cuba to manage.
Once again, we call on the US Congress to listen to the majority sentiment of broad sectors within the US society that advocate an end to this outdated policy and seek the development of mutually beneficial ties with Cuba.
We urge the world's parliaments to join in this international call and to denounce the unjust labelling of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism and a state that does not fully cooperate with US counter-terrorism efforts.
International Relations Commission
National Assembly of People's Power.
Havana, 8 June 2023.