SLP, Mexico.- Organizations participating in the platform Steps of Changewhich includes civil society groups opposed to the Cuban regime, spoke about the measures of President Joe Biden’s administration towards Cuba that, far from benefiting the people, “benefit the military.”
In one press conference broadcast on the social networks of the civic platform, they considered the determination of the US Government to remove Cuba from the list of states that sponsor terrorism outrageous.
The representatives of the organizations stated that, ignoring the recommendations of Cuban civil society, Joe Biden dictated decisions that whiten the image of a regime that sponsors terrorism and applies state terrorism against its citizens.
John Suárez, from the Center for a Free Cuba; Alián Collazo, from the Cuban Freedom March; Kevin O’Brien, Bacardi Family Foundation; Victor Dueñas, from Foundation New Generation; Rosa María Payá, from the Foundation for Pan American Democracy and promoter of Cuba Decide; Erik Cartelle, from the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba; Mario Lleonart, from the Patmos Institute; Yaxis Cires, representing the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights; Dariel Fernández, Somos+ Movement; Alejandro González Raga, from the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights; Liu Santiesteban, of the People’s Party, and Katherine Mojena, of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), repudiated that “the popular clamor for a change in the system is ignored, which has led hundreds of activists and protesters unjustly to jail.” and “dictators are empowered, facilitating the financing of the military who use these funds for repression and the impoverishment of citizens.”
By eliminating sanctions on military entities and removing the Cuban regime from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism, a military elite is strengthened that “controls billions of
dollars in foreign accounts, while the Cuban people face an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.”
The actions of the current US administration, ultimately, will result in greater repression and impoverishment of the Cuban people.
Steps of Change expressed his satisfaction with the release of political prisoners on the Island after the announcement of the US measures, but condemned that people imprisoned for thinking differently are used as bargaining chips to obtain benefits.
“There are more than a thousand political prisoners in Cuba at this moment, more than double the number of alleged
upcoming releases, they remain in condition of hostages of the regime,” they exclaimed.
In response to these events that emerged this Tuesday, January 14, Steps of Change presented a Memorandum that demands not establishing unilateral concessions to the Cuban regime, since “any commitment must be conditioned on clear steps towards a democratic transition, including the definitive end of political imprisonment and the guarantee of free elections.”
Furthermore, they asked the incoming (and outgoing) US administration to support civic organizations and the independent Cuban opposition, recognizing them as legitimate interlocutors of the Cuban people.
On the other hand, they urged to maintain the Cuban regime as a State Sponsor of Terrorism and to strengthen sanctions against financial and military entities of the Government. Likewise, they recommended coordinating an international coalition to “isolate the regime’s criminals in global forums.”
“The way out of the crisis in Cuba involves leaving the dictatorship,” they reiterated in their forceful message and called for the demonstration. “Actions, not words”on January 28 in Washington, DC, to deliver the Memorandum to the White House.
Oxygenate the regime
This Tuesday, Joe Biden took out Cuba from the list that designates it as a State sponsor of terrorism and suspended Title III of the Cuban Freedom and Democratic Solidarity Law that came into force in 1996, after a promise from the Havana regime to the Catholic Church to free political prisoners. .
The elimination of this prohibition would give room for financial transactions with the military conglomerate GAESA and other “satellite” companies dependent on it.
Originally, the list included CIMEX, Habaguanex SA, GAESA, Gaviota Tourism Group, UIM (Union of Military Industry), hotels under the direct control of Gaviota; entities directly serving the defense and security sectors, such as ACERPROT, Security and Protection Systems Certification Company, AGROMIN, APCI (Fire Protection Agency), CAHOMA (Comandante Ernesto Che Guevara Military Industrial Company), Casa Editorial Verde Olivo, Editorial Capitán San Luis, DSE (Department of State Security).
In a advertisement Officially, the US Government also stated that the Cuban regime has not provided any support to international terrorism during the previous six months and has given guarantees that it will not support acts of international terrorism in the future, thereby justified the regime’s removal from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
