On X, the Cuban leader posted that since Washington found that Cuba cooperates in the fight against terrorism, it should do the consistent thing and remove Cuba form the SST list, as well as to put an end to coercive economic measures.

According to press reports, the U.S. State Department (DOS) announced on Wednesday that Cuba is not being included in its 2023 report on nations that do not cooperate in the fight against terrorism.

A document sent to members of Congress states that “on May 15, Antony Blinken determined and certified under Section 40A of the Arms Export Control Act that four countries – North Korea, Iran, Syria and Venezuela – were not fully cooperating with U.S. counterterrorism efforts in 2023”.

The text adds that the DOS determined that the circumstances for certifying Cuba as not fully cooperating with counterterrorism efforts have changed from 2022 to 2023.

It adds that, consequently, the DOS does not designate Cuba as such for calendar year 2023, according to Section 40A of the Arms Export Control Act.

However, the DOS itself argues that its report is not sufficient to remove Cuba from the SST List because this designation is subject to “the law and criteria established by Congress.”

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