Washington, May 22 (EFE).- The Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken, defended this Wednesday before the US House of Representatives for having removed Cuba from the list of countries that ‘do not fully cooperate’ against terrorism because the circumstances they’ve changed.
During an appearance before a committee of the Lower House, the head of US diplomacy explained that the State Department carried out the annual review of the list of nations that “do not fully cooperate with anti-terrorist efforts” (NFCC).
Blinken explained that Cuba’s departure from the list is due to the fact that the current Colombian government, chaired by Gustavo Petro, suspended extradition orders on members of the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla who had traveled to the island.
The Donald Trump Administration (2017-2021) had included Cuba on that list because it hosted members of said guerrilla, who traveled to Havana to hold peace negotiations with the Government of Colombia.
Blinken also justified that the current Joe Biden Administration has “resumped police cooperation with Cuba as part of the national interest” of the United States.
“We have made the determination (to remove Cuba from the list) due to the annual review, the requirements of the designation and the change in circumstances,” explained the Secretary of State, who however recalled that there are other sanctions on Cuba that continue. current.
The United States keeps the Caribbean country on another list, that of countries that promote terrorism, which entails several economic sanctions for the island.
The inclusion of Cuba on that list in January 2021 was one of the last decisions the Trump Administration made before leaving power.
Cuba had been part of the list since 1982 but left in 2015, during the rapprochement stage of the then US president Barack Obama (2009-2017) that was later stopped by Trump. EFE
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