Dozens of Brazilian intellectuals, academics, artists and representatives of people’s movements signed a collective manifesto demanding that the US remove Cuba from its list of countries that support terrorism. The countries on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list, prepared by the American Secretary of State, face tough economic and political sanctions.
Cuba entered the list in January 2021 amid the COVID-19 crisis, after being removed in 2015 by the Obama administration. The move backward was one of the last decisions by Republican Former President Donald Trump (2017-2021) before leaving the White House, and made part of his so-called “maximum pressure” campaign.
Adding the Caribbean country to the list occurred following an international campaign that took thousands of Cuban doctors to countries around the world to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The US justified the measure due to Cuba’s refusal to extradite Colombian guerrilla leaders from the National Liberation Army (ELN, in Spanish), Pablo Tejada and Pablo Beltrán, who had travelled to Havana to attend peace talks with Colombia’s government.
In May this year, the US State Department removed Cuba from the list of countries that “do not fully cooperate with anti-terrorism efforts.” “The US State Department announced, on May 15 this year, that it included Cuba in its 2023 report on countries that do not fully cooperate with anti-terrorism efforts. However, Washington did not remove Cuba from the list of countries that supposedly sponsor terrorism,” says the manifesto.
The letter has the support of names such as singers Chico Buarque and Tom Zé, actors Osmar Prado and Paulo Betti, journalists Kotscho and Chico Pinheiro, and politicians such as Eduardo Suplicy among others.
“Although those responsible in the Biden administration know Cuba’s efforts to curb terrorism and fight for peace in Latin America, the Caribbean and the world, the White House has done nothing to remove Cuba from a list where the country should never have been."
The letter also demands the end of the unilateral economic blockade the US has imposed on Cuba for more than six decades to “subjugate the heroic Caribbean island.”
“Cuba has the inalienable right to freely embrace its own economic, political and social system.”
Read blow the full document and the list of supporters in alphabetical order:
We, Brazilians who work in the arts, culture and politics, call for the United States to remove Cuba from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism. End the criminal blockade against the island.
The US State Department announced, on May 15 this year, that it included Cuba in its 2023 report on countries that do not fully cooperate with anti-terrorism efforts.
However, Washington did not remove Cuba from the list of countries that supposedly sponsor terrorism. Although those responsible in the Biden administration know Cuba’s efforts to curb terrorism and fight for peace in Latin America, the Caribbean and the world, the White House has done nothing to remove Cuba from a list where the country should never have been.
Cuban inclusion on such a list is an infamy that has been in place for too long, as well as the blockade that, for over six decades, has tried to subjugate the heroic Caribbean island.
We demand that the US remove Cuba from the list and stop the criminal blockade against the island.
Cuba has the inalienable right to freely embrace its own economic, political and social system.
Enough with the blockade against Cuba!
In alphabetical order, the signatories to the manifesto:
Ana Miranda – writer
Antonio Grassi – actor
Breno Altman – journalist
Cid Benjamin – journalist
Chico Alencar – professor and parliamentarian
Chico Buarque – writer and composer
Chico Caruso – cartoonist
Chico Diaz – actor
Chico Pinheiro – journalist
Eduardo Moreira – businessman and writer
Eduardo Suplicy – politician
Eliana Caruso – professor
Evanize Sydow – journalist
Fernando Morais – writer
Frei Betto – writer
Itala Nandi – PhD in performing arts
Ivan Valente – federal deputy
Jamil Chade – journalist
José de Abreu – director and producer
José Dirceu – lawyer and political activist
Juliana Monteiro – journalist
Ivan Ângelo – writer
Luiz Ruffato – writer
Luiza Erundina – federal deputy
Margarida Genevois – honorary president of the Arns Commission
Osmar Prado – actor
Pasquale Cipro Neto – professor and writer
Paulo Betti – actor
Paulo Vannuchi – journalist
Paloma Amado – columnist
Ricardo Kotscho – journalist
Roberto Mader - filmmaker
Rosa Freire d'Aguiar - journalist
Tom Zé – singer and songwriter
Walfrido Warde – lawyer
Edited by: Rodrigo Durão Coelho
