In U.S. President Trump's final 10 days in office, he teamed up with his Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, to outrageously add Cuba back on the United States list of so-called “state sponsors of terrorism.” Many are under the false impression that this list is internationally recognized, the truth is that it is a bogus American creation that can clearly be manipulated at the whim of any U.S. president.
On January 12, 2021 Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel responded on Twitter, "We firmly and fully condemn Cuba's fraudulent description as a State sponsor of terrorism. The US #Blockade vs #Cuba is state terrorism. And in the height of cynicism, the immoral terrorists of the #Trump administration accuse us of sponsoring terrorism."
In the midst of a global pandemic and 60 years of U.S. sanctions and blockade against Cuba, this Trump-Pompeo action was yet another demonstration of the cruelty and inhumanity of U.S. policy towards Cuba. The Trump administration made 2020 the most costly year of the blockade against Cuba. President Trump’s vicious tightening of the blockade in the last four years cost Cuba over $5 billion in economic, commercial, and financial damages. Ironically, this move against Cuba came just three months after the world elected Cuba to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
It is clear that Trump and Pompeo want to label Cuba as a so called “state sponsor of terrorism” to continue their slanderous accusations against Cuba’s revolutionary internationalist medical missions. Cuba has over three thousand medical professionals working around the world to fight the Covid-19 pandemic with the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade. By adding Cuba to this list, the U.S. government is hoping to sabotage the global movement for Cuba’s medical professionals to win the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize.
In response, the Cuba solidarity movement in the United States, under the banner of the National Network on Cuba, launched an online petition aimed at the new Biden administration demanding that Cuba be removed from this list of so-called “state sponsors of terrorism”. Fire This Time Newspaper is reprinting this important petition below and we encourage our readers to visit the change.org website (link below) to sign and support.
Many are under the impression that because President Biden was Obama’s Vice President, that he will be open to reversing the harmful measures against Cuba enacted by Trump and work towards ending the blockade on Cuba. However, without world-wide pressure it is clear this will not happen.
On January 28, 2021 during a press briefing Biden's press secretary, Jen Psaki was asked if their administration will be “walking back all of those restrictions that were put into place under the Trump administration.” Psaki responded explaining, "We’ll review the Trump administration policies as we are in a number of other areas of national security with an eye to ensuring that our approach is aligned with that. But we will take our own path. I don’t have anything to predict for you at this point in time." Psaki and Biden have made no commitments about removing Cuba for the so-called "state sponsors of terrorism" list or removing new restrictions against Cuba made by the Trump administration.
Fire This Time Newspaper believes it is up to us to build the pressure on the U.S. government to ensure that 2021 is the final year of this unjust policy against Cuba, we encourage everyone to sign this important petition.
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Online petition: Cuba: Life saver not terrorist. Reverse Pompeo/Trump designation.
Cuba's Henry Reeve Brigade sends doctors on request to COVID-19 hot spots and natural disasters. Cuba saves lives. Its contribution is valued and recognized around the world.
Yet, on January 11, discredited President Trump's State Department added Cuba to its unilateral list of "state sponsors of terrorism". This action has nothing to do with terrorism, but everything to do with making life harder for the Cuban people.
Since 1959 US-backed terrorism has killed more than 3,000 Cubans. Just last year an assault weapon attack on the Cuban Embassy in Washington DC didn't even merit comment from the current administration. From April 2019 to March 2020, US economic terrorism cost Cuba more than $5,570.300.
On December 17, 2014 the US and Cuba renewed diplomatic relations. Respectful discussions signed mutually beneficial agreements -- including one on health that could even help us fight the pandemic.
Look at these numbers. In Los Angeles County -- similar population to Cuba -- 12,250 people have died. But in Cuba 153 -- total, since March! And, not one Cuban health care worker has died from COVID-19!
Especially those of us who have lost loved ones want to know how Cuba has saved lives -- but US laws keep us apart.
It is time to end the sixty year, failed U.S. economic, financial and commercial blockade of Cuba -- completely, for the benefit of people on both sides of the Florida straits, let's #unblockCuba2021.
The Biden-Harris administration can sweep away the Trump regulations. We tell them, do it quickly. Please add your voice by signing this petition.
Sign the petition here: www.change.org/p/transition46-cuba-life-saver-not-terrorist-reverse-pompeo-trump-designation
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