Diaz-Canel denounces attempt to include Cuba in the list of states that sponsor terrorism

HAVANA, Cuba, Jan 1 (ACN) The President of the Republic of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel denounced on Twitter the attempts of the United States government (US) to include the island in its list of countries sponsoring terrorism.

We denounce the unilateral, absurd, hypocritical and unfair maneuver of the US government to include Cuba in its list of state sponsors of terrorism, said Diaz-Canel.

The Cuban leader added that it is precisely the US government that welcomes terrorist groups acting against Cuba, and shared the note denouncing this maneuver published by the Juventud Rebelde newspaper.

"We denounce the unilateral, absurd, hypocritical and unjust maneuver of the US government to include Cuba in its list of state sponsors of terrorism. That government welcomes terrorist groups that act against #Cuba.
#CubaViva," he tweeted.

The proposal to include Cuba in the list of countries sponsoring terrorism comes from the US Department of State, and is pending the signature of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Cuba was included by the US in that list since 1982, but in 2015 was taken out as part of the normalization of bilateral relations.

On May 12, the U.S. State Department notified Congress that Iran, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, and Cuba were certified under Section 40A(a) of the Arms Export Control Act as "not fully cooperating" with U.S. anti-terrorism efforts in 2019.