In a communiqué released in Bogota, the forum welcomed the removal of Cuba from the list of States that do not fully cooperate with US counter-terrorist efforts, although it described the measure as insufficient and incapable of dealing with the real problem, which is its continued inclusion on the other list.

Cuba’s inclusion on the SST list has no ethical, legal or political justification. The unilateral sanctions that result from its application only aggravate the suffering of the Cuban people, the communiqué remarked.

It then urged US President Joe Biden to exercise his powers to remove Cuba from the SST list, and to follow the logic of the State Department to remove it from the list of countries that are not fully cooperating with counter-terrorism efforts.

In solidarity with the Cuban people, the text stated, we will continue to advocate for justice and respect for the sovereignty of all nations.

On May 15, US Chief of Mission Antony Blinken removed Cuba from a unilateral and arbitrary list of countries that, ‘do not fully cooperate’ in the fight against terrorism.

The department determined that the circumstances for Cuba’s certification as a ‘less than fully cooperative country’ had changed from 2022 to 2023, an unidentified official said, who cited the resumption of bilateral law enforcement cooperation as one of the reasons why the previous designation was no longer appropriate.

Following the announcement, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez noted that the US admitted what is known to all: that Cuba fully cooperates with counter-terrorism efforts.

The foreign minister also added on his X account, ‘it should cease all political manipulation of the issue and put an end to our arbitrary and unjust inclusion on the SST list.’

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