Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has demanded that the United States' government remove Cuba from its list of states allegedly sponsoring terrorism.

Falana in a release on Thursday noted that the US authorities have to "obey and implement the resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly which has annually since 1992,  demanded that the USA ends its blockade against Cuba and lift the economic and trade embargo imposed on that country since February, 1962." 

The fiery lawyer added that US must evacuate its military and other personnel from the Cuban Guantanamo Bay which it has occupied since 1903. 

Falana said, "It is unfortunate that the United States of America, USA has for the fifth time in five years, listed Cuba as  one of the states “sponsoring  terrorism.”  It had initially listed Cuba in that category in 1982 for that country’s principled support  for  liberation struggles around the world especially against Apartheid in  Namibia and South Africa.

"The USA under President Barack Obama had in 2015 admitted that Cuba never engaged in terrorism, and removed it from that list.

"However, Cuba  was relisted in January 2019 by the Trump administration when it  refused to accept  the attempted coup  by Venezuelan Senator Juan Guaido against the elected government of President Nicholas Maduro of Venezuela. Since then, listing Cuba  has become an annual ritual.

"This act by the USA which smacks of vindictiveness, distracts the attention of the world from the real terrorists  like ISIS  and, serves to confuse  some as to the true meaning and criminal import of terrorism.

"Cuba has never been involved in terrorism nor attacked any country. Rather, it is famous for its humanitarian assistance to dozens of countries in the world saving lives by sending its medical teams around the world including Europe.

"It is ironic that it is the USA that has since 1961,  carried out terrorist attacks against  Cuba without the latter responding.  These include the April 17-20, 1961 invasion of Cuba by mercenaries trained and deployed by the  American Central Intelligence Agency, CIA in what became known as the Bay of Pigs Invasion.  The most infamous terrorist attack was the  October 6, 1976 bombing of the civilian airliner, Cubana Flight 455 in which the 73 passengers on board, perished.   Declassified USA documents revealed that this bombing was master-minded by CIA operative, Luis Posada Carriles.  The same operative was responsible for the bombing of Cuban hotels in 1977. Mr Carriles was granted American Presidential pardon in 1990 for some of his crimes.

"Declassified documents also revealed that groups like  Omega 7 and Alpha 66 which attacked Cubans both in their motherland and USA soil, have the backing of American security agencies.

"For world peace and good international relations around the globe, I join in the international calls for the USA to do the following:

"Remove Cuba from the list of states allegedly sponsoring terrorism; obey and implement the resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly which has annually since 1992,  demanded that the USA ends its blockade against Cuba and lift the economic and trade embargo imposed on that country since February, 1962.

"Evacuate its military and other personnel from the Cuban Guantanamo Bay which it has occupied since 1903 under a lease agreement which no longer subsists, and, recognise the right of Cuba, as a state to  run the political system of its choice in line with the UN principle  on  the sovereign equality of all its Members."