Carlos Fernandez de Cossio. AP Photo
(Source AP)
United Nations, September 8 -- Cuba’s deputy foreign minister accused the Biden administration of acting immorally, illegitimately, and unfairly by keeping Cuba on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, claiming it has been a victim of state-sponsored terrorism by the United States for more than 60 years.
Carlos Fernández de Cossio said in an interview with The Associated Press that maintaining Cuba on the State Department blacklist with North Korea, Iran and Syria is “an easy way to punish Cuba with the overall aim of trying to make Cuba what it is not — to make Cuba a failed state.”
“The U.S., unfortunately, pays no price for doing something that is illegitimate, unsustainable, and immoral,” he said. “And even though, speaking with government officials, they find no reason why Cuba should be in the list, they claim that it is politically difficult for them.”
The United States imposed an economic embargo on Cuba in 1960 following the revolution led by Fidel Castro and the nationalization of properties belonging to U.S. citizens and corporations.
Removing Cuba from the blacklist had been one of then-President Barack Obama’s main foreign policy achievements as he sought better relations with the Caribbean island, an effort endorsed by Biden as his vice president.
Days before Biden was inaugurated as president, then-President Donald Trump’s administration redesignated Cuba as a “state sponsor of terrorism,” imposing new sanctions. During his campaign, Biden promised to renew relations with the communist-governed island, but he has made no move to do so.
Fernández said the “pretext” then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gave was the presence in Cuba of representatives of Colombia’s last guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army, known as the ELN. He said Cuba didn’t invite them but responded to a request from the Colombian government to host peace talks with the group in Havana.
Fernández said U.S. officials describing delisting as a “politically difficult” decision is “an immoral excuse, because as a result of this designation, the Cuban economy is suffering an additional pain on the one already imposed by the blockade.”
He explained that anyone engaging economically or financially with a country on the list faces the possibility of being punished by the United States, and that because of Cuba’s designation over 30 financial and banking institutions interrupted their relationships with the country.
“There is huge economic pressure,” Fernandez said, explaining that for the past six years the country has had no sources of financing or development credit, and the U.S. has tried to deprive Cuba of fuel so it has to pay a 15-30% premium because of the risk that the few sellers take.
