Forty-six US congress people demand Cuba’s removal from SSOT list

Forty-six congress people from the United States urged President Joe Biden to reverse Cuba's designation as a sponsor of terrorism, and acknowledged its role in the peace accords in Colombia.

In a letter, dated July 31, and copied to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the lawmakers expressed the concern of the members of the legislature about the arbitrary measure against Cuba, which fulfilled its commitments as guarantor of the peace talks process in Colombia.

According to them, the peace process also depends on the willingness of other countries to serve as guarantors of the talks.

In that regard, they warned, ‘We are concerned that the (Donald) Trump administration’s decision to designate Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SSOT) could make it difficult to identify those countries and we urge you to reverse that designation.’

In January 2021, a few days before the end of his term, Donald Trump reinstated Cuba on the SSOT list, as part of the policy of maximum pressure that characterized his stance towards the Caribbean island.

At the time, Trump used Cuba’s refusal to extradite ten members of the ELN (National Liberation Army) who had participated in the peace negotiations with the Colombian government as a pretext.

As a guarantor of the talks, Cuba was fulfilling its commitments under international protocols, a position fully supported by another guarantor country, Norway, they stressed.

The Colombian Government has repeatedly requested Cuba’s removal from the SSOT list, in recognition of its ‘essential role as host and guarantor of the peace talks,’ the letter emphasized.

The designation -maintained by Trump’s successor, Joe Biden- meant a reinforcement of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed on the Cuban people for more than six decades.

Cuba was first included in that unilateral list in 1982, during the Ronald Reagan administration (1981-1989) and President Barack Obama (2009-2017) reversed the measure in 2015 after admitting it lacked merit.

Cuban authorities have consistently stated that the reality is that Cuba has been a victim of terrorism for years, many times organized and planned from US territory.