Germany supports Cuba's removal from U.S. list of State sponsors of terrorism

On Wednesday, Christian Wagner, spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry, said that Germany supports removing Cuba from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.

“The German government, together with its EU partners, supports the removal of Cuba from the list of states that support terrorism.  This would also be an important step toward improving Cuba’s social and economic situation,” he said.

Last week, nearly 600 parliamentarians from 73 countries urged their governments to press the United States to have President Joe Biden remove Cuba from that list, which also includes Syria, Iran, and North Korea.  Cuba’s inclusion on the U.S. list results in economic sanctions that restrict access to food and medicine.

On Tuesday, Brazilian President Lula da Silva said it was unacceptable for the United States to keep Cuba among countries allegedly promoting terrorism and urged an end to a measure harmful to the Caribbean nation.

In his speech at the opening of the 79th General Assembly of the United Nations, Lula emphasized that Cuba’s inclusion on the U.S. list is unjustifiable as it lacks any concrete evidence to support it.

Authorities in Havana have consistently denounced Cuba’s inclusion on the U.S. terrorist list as part of the tightening of the economic, financial, and commercial blockade imposed for more than six decades.

In early September, Spanish journalist Ignacio Ramonet also sent a letter to President Biden asking him to remove Cuba from the State Department’s list.  On that occasion, the letter garnered support from over 5,500 signatures from artists, writers, and intellectuals from 113 countries.