Washington, DC – Today the Trump Administration made the unfortunate, misguided and counterproductive decision to add Cuba to the State Department’s list of countries that do not cooperate fully with U.S. Counterterrorism Efforts. Cuba was removed from the list 4 years ago based on the determination that its inclusion was not warranted.
“Politicizing cooperation on something as life and death as terrorism is about as low as you can go,” said CET’s President Collin Laverty. “There is no reason for Cuba to be included on the list. This is clearly guided by electoral politics and not based on facts.”
Analysts have long warned that using State Department lists regarding terrorism for political reasons erodes the legitimacy of those lists and State Department analyses.
The State Department’s listed two reasons for Cuba’s inclusion on the list. First, Cuba’s role in Colombian peace negotiations, which was supported by the government of Colombia, and second, for not extraditing American fugitives, something many countries, including US allies, do regularly. The US also refuses to send back fugitives of the Cuban justice system.
The listing means that Cuba, which already suffers from the most comprehensive set of sanctions in the world, and those that do business with the island could face additional hurdles regarding international financial transactions.
The move is likely the first step to adding Cuba back on the State Sponsors of Terrorism List.
“As the world calls for global sanctions relief in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump Administration is intent on increasing suffering with the hopes of capturing additional votes in South Florida,” added Laverty. “President Trump and his team are becoming experts at hurting the Cuban people and destroying the State Department’s credibility at the same time.”
