Welsh campaigners back Biden’s decision to drop ‘state terrorism’ status of Cuba

Martin Shipton

Pro-Cuba groups in Wales have welcomed outgoing President Joe Biden’s decision to remove the Communist nation from the US’ State Sponsors of Terrorism list, but say it comes four years too late and critically does nothing to end the economic blockade imposed on the country 63 years ago.

The blockade cuts off the essential flow of goods and medicines to the Caribbean country. It meant, for example, that during the pandemic Cuba was unable to import syringes to vaccinate its population, including children, because the US prevented the much needed medical supplies from reaching them.

The blockade makes it increasingly difficult to acquire basic necessities such as fuel, food, medicines and hygiene products. As many as 45 international banks immediately terminated relations with Cuba when it was returned to the State Sponsors of Terrorism list during Donald Trump’s first term as president.

Fundraising

The Cuba Solidarity Campaign in Rhondda Cynon Taf (CSCRCT) has responded to this stranglehold by fundraising and supporting delegates to visit Cuba in the last year, each of whom carried suitcases of basic medical items in short supply such as painkillers.

Wilf Holyoak, Chair of CSCRCT said: “We deeply welcome the news that Cuba has been taken off the SSOT list. The designation has created immense hardships for the Cuban people, locking them out of banks, cutting them off from the world, and intensifying the genocidal blockade that the US has placed upon them.

“However, we note the cynicism of this move by Joe Biden. He had the power to end the suffering of Cubans every day of his presidency, and he chose not to. His move to remove them from this list is not a humanitarian one. Instead he has only done it to create a diplomatic incident for his successor Donald Trump to deal with.

“To the incoming president we say that RCT, Wales and the world watches to ensure he does not backtrack and reinstate the SSOT designation. To Cuba and her people, we say that you’ll always have support from us in RCT, our commitment to ending the blockade is steadfast.”

President Trump

Cuba’s listing as an SSOT was implemented by President Trump on the eve of his departure from office in January 2021. Since then there have been numerous international calls to reverse the action. The presence of Colombian guerrillas in Cuba has been cited to justify the designation, however it is internationally accepted that they were there to participate in official peace talks sponsored by the Norwegian Government, which Cuba was hosting.

As part of a deal brokered by the Vatican, an unspecified number of people regarded as political prisoners will be released from Cuban jails

Maykel González Vivero, a Cuban journalist and LGBTQ+ activist who was arrested during spontaneous street protests in 2021, told the Guardian he hoped that the prisoner release would include figures such as the prominent dissident José Daniel Ferrer and the artists Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara and Maykel “Osorbo” Castillo Pérez, saying: “There is great uncertainty over the possibility that Trump might return Cuba to the list, but the prisoner release will not be reversed, so this is a great day for Cuba.”

He added: “Hopefully we are closer to the day when the Cuban people will no longer be the victims of a dark and utilitarian game of political chess.”

Trump designated the country as a state sponsor of terrorism in 2021, shortly before he left office, for “repeatedly providing support for acts of international terrorism in granting safe harbor to terrorists”. Cuba had previously been removed from that list under Barack Obama. It first received the designation in 1982 during Ronald Reagan’s presidency.

Sanctions

Trump’s decision enforced sanctions that penalise persons and countries engaging in certain trade with Cuba, restricts US foreign assistance, bans defence exports and sales, and imposes certain controls on exports of dual use items. The decision to repeal the status may help alleviate a significant humanitarian crisis on the island, which is less than 100 miles from the coast of Florida.

But Trump may still decide to redesignate the country as a state sponsor of terrorism after his inauguration on January 20. Some Republican lawmakers criticised the decision and said they would work with Trump to reverse it.

Sir George Hollingbery, the UK ambassador to Cuba, said: “While this is clearly welcome, I think we can expect the new Trump administration to look to reimpose the designation as fast as they can. But that will probably take some time and there’s not a total guarantee they’ll be able to do it.”

He added: “That said, I can’t honestly see any banks changing their business practices and I think they’ll still exclude Cuba.”