Cuba's Designation as a "State Sponsor of Terrorism" by the United States

On Cuba's Designation as a "State Sponsor of Terrorism" by the United States

Following the Biden administration's removal of Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism - a designation which carries a number of serious economic challenges - the Central Executive Committee of the Popular Democracy Movement reacted with muted optimism. This unjust and misleading designation which had been removed under Obama had been reinstated under the first presidency of Donald Trump. Despite election promises to return to Obama's Cuba policy, Biden's decision to wait until the final days of his presidency to remove Cuba from this list reflects a hollow and cynical gesture, which if implemented in previous years could have provided much needed relief to the Cuban people.

The PDM unequivocally condemns the decision by the Trump regime within its very first hours to reinstate Cuba to the list. This decision comes as little surprise however in light of notorious Miami war hawk Marco Rubio being chosen to fill the position of Secretary of State, and is a clear indication of the hostility Cuba and other progressive governments in Latin America can expect from Trump's second presidential term. For this reason, the PDM calls on the peace and solidarity movements, and on all democratic forces to stand in solidarity with the Cuban people, who have stood steadfast for nearly seven decades in the face of the criminal and inhumane US sanctions. It is the embargo, not Cuba's government, which is the source of Cuba's economic challenges.

As a founding UN member state and signatory to the UN Charter, we strongly urge the government of the United States to uphold the right of all peoples to self-determination, sovereignty, and to its commitment to peaceful international relations enshrined therein. We moreover call on the government of Canada to condemn US imperialist policies towards Cuba and take measures to support the Cuban people in the face of US aggression. Finally, the PDM demands the immediate removal of Cuba from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, an end to the embargo, and the cessation of all political and economic hostility aimed at destabilising the country and menacing its people.

Venceremos!

Central Executive Committee

Popular Democracy Movement