U.S. Department Of State Spokesperson Has Challenges Explaining Cuba's Inclusion On List Of State Sponsors Of Terrorism
/United States Department of State
Washington DC
2 May 2023
Press Briefing: Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson
QUESTION: Liz Oliva Fernandez, Belly of the Beast. Administration officials meet last week with Cuban officials to discuss counterterrorism, but the administration has Cuba on the state sponsor of terrorism list. Why is Cuba on the state sponsor of terrorism list if you are trying to work with them to fight against terrorism?
MR PATEL: So these security dialogues with Cuba, my understanding is that they are very standard and they happen at regular intervals and regular cadence. There is obviously, given the maritime boundary, important pieces of coordination that need to take place with Cuba. But these are dialogues that happen regularly, at regular intervals, and we continue to not have a change in policy as it relates to Cuba’s place on the designation list.
QUESTION: What evidence is there that Cuba sponsored terrorism?
MR PATEL: Well, the regime has a long track record of egregious human rights abuses, suppression of a free press, suppression of civil society, and other key factors that continue to keep them on that list.
Jackson, go —
QUESTION: But you can give me examples —
MR PATEL: I’m going to work the room a little bit —
QUESTION: — of terrorism because of human rights abuse.
MR PATEL: I’m going to work a little bit. Thank you. Jackson, go ahead.
QUESTION: Hi, yes. Just a follow-up on the U.S.-Cuba counterterrorism dialogues from last week.
MR PATEL: Yeah.
QUESTION: Based off your previous response, I was wondering if you’re saying that any government that commits any rights abuses deserves to be on this list?
MR PATEL: I’m not going to parse the specific participation on this list or not. Your question was about the security dialogue. The security dialogue is something that we have conducted with Cuba at regular intervals. It is an interagency dialogue; the State Department is not the only department involved. It obviously takes place in close coordination with the Department of Homeland Security and other cabinet agencies as well. So —
QUESTION: Yeah, but is it not a contradiction to be discussing counterterrorism with a country that’s currently designated a State Sponsor of Terrorism?
MR PATEL: As I said, these are talks that happen regularly at regular intervals, that there is a – obviously a nexus for this dialogue to take place between the United States and Cuba, given the maritime boundary and the waters that we share. And so that’s what this is about.
All right. Thanks, everybody.
(The briefing was concluded at 2:02 p.m.)
