Last Updated on May 13, 2020, 8:27 PM AST by Anthony Morris
The United States of America said on Wednesday that it has added Cuba to a blacklist of countries which do not fully cooperate on counterterrorism, denouncing the presence of Colombian leftist guerrillas.
Cuba joined four American adversaries – Iran, Syria, North Korea and Venezuela – in failing to be certified for 2019 under a U.S. counterterrorism law that affects defence exports.
It is for the first time that Cuba has not been certified by the United States since 2015. The State Department has pointed to the presence of negotiators from Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN), a left-wing rebel group, who had travelled back to Havana back in 2017 for negotiating with the Bogota Government but they have not returned.
The State Department said, “Cuba’s refusal to engage productively with the Colombian Government shows that Cuba is not cooperating with the US to support efforts of Colombia to secure lasting and just peace, security and opportunity for the people”.
A senior official in Havana has responded to the statement by saying that Cuba is in fact “a victim of terrorism,” with a reference to the attacks over the decades by the militant anti-communists.
Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, the foreign ministry official in charge of US relations, wrote on Twitter that there is a long history of terrorist acts committed by the U.S. government vs. Cuba and complicity of U.S. authorities with individuals and organizations that have organized, financed and executed such actions from U.S. territory.
The militants have been unsuccessfully demanding, that Colombia grant safe passage for its negotiators to return from Cuba.
The State Department move will have a little practical effect on Cuba, which does not import weapons from the United States, its archrival.
This step is the latest step of President Donald Trump, however, to increase pressure on Cuba and move away from the reconciliation efforts under his predecessor Barack Obama.
The counterterrorism cooperation list is separate from State Department designations of state sponsors of terrorism, which have far-reaching legal effects and can pose significant impediments to foreign investment.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
