Washington —
The United States government on Tuesday again added Cuba to a group of countries that, according to Washington, “do not cooperate fully” in its fight against terrorism, which drew strong condemnation from Havana.
In a notice published in the United States Federal Register, Secretary of State Antony Blinken named Cuba among five countries—along with Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, and Syria—that did not meet his expectations on the subject.
The State Department is required by law to provide this list annually to the US Congress.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said on Twitter: “The false accusation against Cuba in relation to terrorism continues from Washington, a heinous crime practiced by the United States without hesitation and opportunistically under political pressure.” uses as a tool.”
The assessment of the United States is almost identical to the assessment of the last two years of the government of President G. Biden.
The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for clarification on the decision.
“I hereby determine and certify to Congress that the following countries are not fully cooperating with United States counterterrorism efforts: Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea), Iran, Syria and Venezuela,” Blinken wrote.
Last year, the Biden administration partially repealed some Trump-era restrictions on remittances and travel to the island, with Havana saying the measures were insufficient.
Trump, a Republican, designated Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism before leaving office in January 2021, a move detracted from an assessment of insufficient cooperation.
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