A group of Republican congressmen of Cuban origin asked this Friday the president of EU, Joe Bidenthat keeps Cuba on the list of State sponsors of terrorism, a category that carries sanctions for the island.
The legislators made this request in the midst of controversy over the trip that two congressmen from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party they did at the end of February Cubawhere they met with the country’s president, Miguel Diaz-Canel.
The Republicans Maria Elvira Salazar, Nicole Malliotakis, Carlos Gimenez y Mario Diaz-Balartall of them of Cuban origin, gave a press conference in front of Congress to criticize that “socialism has destroyed Cuba.”
These legislators are trying to promote the so-called ‘Force Law’, which would prevent the United States from normalizing relations with Cuba until “freedom and democracy are restored” on the island.
It would also prohibit the State Department from removing Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism if those conditions are not met.
The Republicans’ appearance was interrupted by two activists from the organization Codepink with banners demanding to “remove Cuba from the terrorist list.”
The Democratic Administration of the President Joe Biden has ruled out for now removing Cuba from the list of State sponsors of terrorism, a measure ordered by the former Republican president Donald Trump (2017-2021) at the end of his term.
In parallel, the dissident organization Center for a Free Cuba (Center for a Free Cuba) called for a protest this Friday in front of the Cuban Embassy in Washington.
The objective of the rally, according to its organizers, is to protest Havana’s “support” for the Russian invasion of Ukraine and “pay tribute” to the Cuban opposition. Oswaldo Payáfor whose death in 2012 the Cuban State has been held responsible.
In a statement, the Center for a Free Cuba established a parallel between Payá’s death and the recent death in prison of the Russian opposition leader. Alexei Navalny.
Between February 19 and 22, the congresswomen Pramila Jayapal e Ilhan Omarfrom the most progressive wing of the Democrats, visited the island, where they met with President Díaz-Canel, other members of the Government and relatives of imprisoned opponents.
The trip caused a stir in the United States Congress, with criticism from Republicans and their Democratic colleagues, who consider this visit an ill-advised sign of rapprochement with the Cuban Government. EFE (I)
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