The United States has added Cuba to the list of countries that do not cooperate enough on terrorism

The United States has banned the export of defense products to Cuba, citing insufficient cooperation in the fight against terrorism. This was reported on the website of the US State Department on May 13.

According to the department, in May 2024, Cuba was excluded from the list of countries that "do not fully cooperate" with Washington on counterterrorism issues. However, a year later, she was given this status again. According to the Arms Export Control Act, certification as NFCC entails an automatic ban on the sale and licensing of exports of defense goods and services.

"Such certification entails a ban on the sale or issuance of licenses for the export of defense products and services to Cuba," said State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce.

The State Department stressed that in 2024, the Cuban authorities refused to discuss the extradition of at least 11 Americans hiding on the island, including those accused of terrorism. This, according to the United States, made it impossible to jointly combat security threats.

In addition to Cuba, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also re-certified North Korea, Iran, Syria and Venezuela as NFCC countries.

One step forward, two steps back: Biden will remove Cuba from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism

After Donald Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20, that decision could be reversed

On February 25, a group of members of the European Parliament (EP) from several countries was outraged by the situation with the financial blockade pressure organized by the United States against Cuba. The MEPs note that the embargo imposed on Cuba has had a significant impact on the country's economy, which has led to serious consequences for the living conditions of its population.

Earlier, on January 21, US President Donald Trump returned Cuba to the list of state sponsors of terrorism. The exclusion from this list under former President Joe Biden was part of a deal under which Cuba was supposed to release 553 political prisoners. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez on his page on the social network X (ex. Twitter) called Trump's decision to return Havana to the list a disregard for the truth.