Josefina Vidal affirmed that it is arbitrary for the U.S. government to designate Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism and to include it on a unilateral list
Photo: Archive/RHC
Havana, July 10 (RHC)-- Cuban Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Josefina Vidal has denounced that her country is a target of terrorist acts from the United States, with the complicity and inaction of that nation's authorities.
At a press conference in Havana, Vidal commented that "the impunity with which terrorist groups have acted for more than six decades" against Cuba, carried out from U.S. territory or seeking refuge in that country, "is largely a consequence of the inaction, complicity, and lack of commitment of the United States government."
These actions are "aimed at harming the security and integrity of the Cuban population and our institutions and facilities, both in Cuba and in the United States and other parts of the world," she stated.
The diplomat appeared before local and international media at the International Press Center in Havana and reported that Cuban authorities had updated and submitted to the United Nations the list of individuals and entities responsible for extremist acts against the Caribbean nation.
"Today, Cuba is submitting to the UN Secretary-General the national list of individuals under investigation or wanted by the authorities for their involvement in promoting, planning, organizing, financing, supporting, or committing acts carried out in Cuba or other countries in the name of terrorism," she stated.
"With this step, we fulfill and honor, as we have always done, the commitments Cuba has made in this matter," she noted, pointing out that the list "is submitted pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1373."
The deputy foreign minister stated that “it is important to emphasize that Cuba is a State Party to the 19 international conventions related to terrorism and strictly complies with the obligations arising from the relevant UN Security Council resolutions related to combating terrorism.”
Cuba, she asserted, “has implemented a set of legal and institutional measures aimed at effectively combating this scourge.” She also emphasized that the Cuban government “has expressed and reiterates today its full willingness to cooperate” in the fight against terrorism, “both multilaterally and bilaterally, in a professional, serious, and transparent manner.”
It should be noted “that there is a history of inaction on the part of the United States authorities, due to obvious political considerations, on this issue.”
“Cuba has facilitated cooperation in the fight against terrorism through the dialogue mechanism and the memorandum of understanding between Cuba and the United States on law enforcement and compliance,” she asserted.
However, the deputy foreign minister clarified that “the United States government, particularly the Secretary of State, has brought these existing mechanisms between the two countries to a standstill. These mechanisms have shown in the past that, despite differences, it is possible to cooperate against the scourge of terrorism, which has a global reach.”
“The cooperation that Cuba promotes and demands is particularly important in the case of the United States, because the majority of the people whose names appear on the list being updated today receive refuge and protection in that country,” she explained.
It is very important to know, she said, that “Cuban law enforcement agencies have regularly provided information, including names and locations, on individuals who in recent years have been involved in promoting, financing and organizing violent and terrorist acts in Cuba.”
Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Josefina Vidal also accused U.S. counterparts, and specifically the State Department, of lacking the will to act against terrorists and coordinate cooperation with Cuban institutions.
“To cite recent examples, Cuban-born Alexander Alazo Baró, who fired 32 rounds of ammunition with an assault rifle at the Cuban embassy in Washington in April 2020, was released without conviction in October 2024, despite the evidence against him,” she said.
“Another example: since the end of 2023, the Cuban Foreign Ministry has been awaiting a response and information regarding the identity of the perpetrator of another attack against the Cuban diplomatic mission in Washington, who threw two Molotov cocktails on the night of September 24 of that year,” she added.
The deputy foreign minister explained that the paradoxical and cynical aspect of all this “is that the United States government designates Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism and includes it on an arbitrary and unilateral list, without any mandate from international organizations.”
“Any astute and impartial observer can conclude which government truly encourages, supports, and tolerates terrorism, and which country confronts and combats it, while at the same time having been a victim of this scourge for more than sixty years,” she stated.
Josefina Vidal reiterated that “violent and terrorist acts against Cuba are increasing, and impunity continues, in the face of the inaction of the United States government.”
Along with Deputy Foreign Minister Josefina Vidal, the chief prosecutor of the Attorney General's Office, Edward Roberts Campbell, took part in the press conference. Also participating were the Director of International Relations of the Ministry of Justice, Alexis Batista, and the deputy head of the specialized agency of the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation of the Ministry of the Interior, Colonel Víctor Álvarez.
[ SOURCE: PRENSA LATINA ]
