The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is calling for the United States to reevaluate Cuba’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. The call comes after Cuba was not included on a recently released list of countries “not cooperating fully” with antiterrorism policies.
Penned by Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace, and addressed to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, the letter begins by assuring Blinken of the Conference’s prayers for his diplomatic efforts during “challenging times.”
Bishop Zaidan then expressed the Conference's pleasure upon seeing Cuba removed from the list of those countries not in full cooperation with antiterrorism efforts. Still, the bishop noted that he wishes to see more done to “maximize our country’s engagement for the good of the Cuban people.” This would entail removing Cuba’s distinction as a State Sponsor of Terrorism.
According to the US State Department, Cuba was initially added to the list of countries considered to fund and condone terrorism in 1982. This designation reflected on the nation’s “history of providing advice, safe haven, communications, training, and financial support to guerrilla groups and individual terrorists.” Cuba was removed from the list in 2015, under President Barack Obama, but it was added to the list again in 2021 just before President Trump’s term ended that January.
Now, the USCCB would like to see President Biden’s administration remove the distinction and resume friendly relations with Cuba. Bishop Zaidan recalled that his predecessor as Chairman, Bishop David Malloy, strongly opposed the 2021 move to reinstall the designation, highlighting the USCCB’s long standing position that favored bilateral cooperation between the US and Cuba:
“For decades, in conjunction with the Holy See and the majority of the international community,” Bishop Malloy commented in 2021, “the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has urged collaboration and mutually beneficial relations between the United States and Cuba, as well as the full lifting of the economic embargo against the island nation.”
Bishop Zaidan concluded by expressing his openness to meet and work closely with the Secretary of State to reach these ends.
