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Carmelina Ramirez
Special Correspondent

A few days before leaving the White House, President Trump’s administration applied sanctions against Cuba.

It is like an obsession.

Last week, former US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, announced, Cuba was included once again in the list of states that sponsor terrorism. Why is the United States State Department assuming the right to qualify states as sponsors of terrorism, without any mandate or legitimacy?

Cuba does not sponsor any kind of terrorism. It is an unilateral and arbitrary listing without any base, authority or international support which, as it is known, only aids to the intentions to defame and pressure countries refusing to bend to the will of the US government in their sovereign decisions.

The announcement made by Secretary of State Michael Pompeo constitutes another act of arrogance of US. The true motivation behind this action is to impose additional obstacles to any prospect of recovery in the bilateral relations between Cuba and the United States.

As a country which has been a victim of terrorism, Cuba deplores any form of manipulation and political opportunism when dealing on such a sensitive issue.

Cuba has upheld an immaculate conduct of rejection of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, in particular State terrorism, by whoever, against whoever and wherever it is committed.

Due to the terrorist acts committed by the United States government or perpetrated and sponsored from its territory, 3 478 Cubans have died and 2 099 people left with disabilities.

It is very strange that a country which promotes terrorism, as USA government attempts to convince the world, sends medical doctors around the world to fight diseases like Ebola, to help populations after earthquake and save lives.

It is well known, Cuba has developed humanitarian mission sending several Medical Brigades, to more than 52 countries in Africa, Latin America and Europe to fight Covid- 19.

However, the US has dedicated itself to discrediting Cuban medical cooperation and trying to prevent countries from accepting it. Cuba does not recognise any authority to the State Department to qualify states as sponsoring terrorism. These lists are totally unilateral, lacking international recognition.

They exist and were conceived to defame against countries which the United States has discrepancies and to apply measures of economic coercion, as is the case of Cuba.

During his administration, president, Trump attacked Cuba with particular cruelty. Since the establishment of the economic, financial and commercial blockade he has adopted the harshest sanctions than any previous administration has adopted. In the last four years, over 240 sanctions were adopted.

They have prohibited US cruise ships from docking in Cuban ports, the remittances from the United States were prohibited, flights from the United States to all provinces except Havana were prohibited, restrictions were imposed on the granting of visas, and ships that transported oil were persecuted, the Article III of the Helms Burton Law entered into force.

But they have failed in their attempt to make Cubans give up by hunger, diseases or desperation.

As Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez has said, the decision to include Cuba on the unilateral list of countries sponsors of terrorism is part of the last blows of a failed and corrupt administration, Cubans are ready to move forward.

The Cuban people have earned international respect for its heroic resistance. They have not been able to bring us to our knees with their policies of sanctions and attacks.

The Revolution has survived 12 presidents, from Eisenhower to Trump, our resistance is not running out.

The true motivation for this action is to impose additional obstacles to any prospect of recovery in the bilateral relations between Cuba and the United States.

We have received the solidarity of the International community that has condemned the action of including Cuba in the unilateral list of state sponsors of terrorism.

 Carmelina Ramirez is the Ambassador of Cuba to Zimbabwe.