The State Sponsorship of Terrorism (SSOT) list was founded in 1979 amidst the tail end of the Cold War and 17 years after the Cuban Missile Crisis. As determined by the U.S. Secretary of State, countries on the list have repeatedly supported international terrorism and are “designated pursuants” to multiple laws associated with restrictions on foreign aid, economy, exports and sales (U.S. Department of State 1). This means that under the specifications of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act, and section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, these countries are designated to heavy restrictions from the U.S. because of terrorist action.
The United States added Cuba to the list in 1982 under President Ronald Reagan’s administration for alleged “ties to international terrorism” in Latin America (CRS Report). In 1982, The Miami Herald reported that members of the Castro regime used a narcotics ring to traffic arms to M-19 guerillas in Colombia. Additionally, Cuba harbored ships carrying marijuana in Cuban waters to be sent to the United States. This marked the beginning of Cuba’s history on the SSOT list. Despite administration changes, the United States government remained consistent on its stance regarding Cuba until recently.
Fidel Castro, the long-time communist leader of Cuba until 2008, stressed that Cuba no longer supports insurgents (CRS Report). Raúl Castro, his brother, took over the presidency in 2008 due to Fidel Castro’s health concerns. Following relaxed stances and new relations between the island and President Barack Obama’s administration, President Obama removed Cuba from the list in 2015 (WOLA). The U.S. Embassy reopened, and internet and trade opportunities expanded.
This was until 2016 when dozens of American diplomats and their families in Cuba reported incapacitating high-pitched noises in their homes and hotel rooms (NY Times). Some experienced long-term symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, and even hearing loss. Dr James C. Lin of the University of Illinois published a paper explaining the plausibility of this event stemming from a microwave attack (IEEE Magazine). The phenomenon became so prevalent that it was named “Havana Syndrome” (CBS News). James Benford, a physicist, and leading authority on microwaves discussed that scientists have studied microwaves for over 50 years and determined they can damage tissues of the brain (CBS News). In 2021, Congress passed the Helping American Victims Afflicted by Neurological Attacks Act of 2021 bill. This bill authorizes the Department of State and the Central Intelligence Agency to provide payment to individuals who suffered brain damage while in service of the U.S. Government, specifically on foreign assignments, most linked to Havana Syndrome (Congress). As of March 2024, officials of the White House, FBI, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence have stated at varying levels of confidence that it is unlikely Havana Syndrome was caused by a foreign adversary (CBS News 2). Many speculate that this was perpetrated by those in Cuba’s government through Russian relations, but there is no concrete evidence available to support this claim.
In 2021, officials of President Donald Trump’s administration reinstated Cuba onto the State Sponsorship of Terrorism list. According to the British Broadcasting Company, or the BBC, the decision was due to Cuban backing of President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela amidst election fraud (BBC 1), with no mention of Havana Syndrome. Furthermore, Cuban government officials refused to extradite 10 Marxist rebel commanders responsible for the 2021 National Liberation Army car bombing in Bogota, Columbia (Reuters 1). Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez released a statement on social media following the news of Cuba being condemned to the list once more saying the decision is “hypocritical and cynical” and an act of “political opportunism” (NPR).
Despite this, the United States government resumed cooperation with Cuban law enforcement in May of 2024. Officials of President Joe Biden’s administration removed Cuba from a small list of countries that fail to cooperate fully with U.S. counter terrorism efforts. This list, while separate from the SSOT list (Reuters 2), marks a change for U.S.-Cuba relations.
As of 2024, Cuba has been on the State Sponsorship of Terrorism list for a total of 36 years. A humanitarian crisis grows on the island that Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz Canel attributes to decades of U.S. sanctions, many from the State Sponsorship of Terrorism list (BBC 2). Some economists attribute the struggles to a failed communist government, with the biggest protests the government has seen in decades occurring this year (BBC 2). The Cuban people protested in March of 2024, chanting “we are hungry” in the streets. Furthermore, they sometimes experience 18 hours of power outages a day (NBC News). Protests are a rarity under the government control in Cuba despite the blackouts, hunger and supply shortages experienced on the island daily.
Reference Page
BBC 1: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-55627032
BBC 2: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-57802170
Congress: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1828
CRS Report: https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/RL32251/6
Miami Herald: https://www.latinamericanstudies.org/drugs/ring.htm
NBC: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/cuba-hundreds-take-streets-rare-protests-economic-crisis-deepens-rcna143871
U.S. Department of State (1): https://www.state.gov/state-sponsors-of-terrorism/
U.S. Department of State (2): https://www.state.gov/reports/country-reports-on-terrorism-2019/cuba/#:~:text=Overview%3A%20Cuba%20was%20designated%20as,guerrilla%20groups%20and%20individual%20terrorists.
U.S. Department of State (3): https://www.state.gov/reports/country-reports-on-terrorism-2022/
The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/01/science/sonic-attack-cuba-microwave.html
WOLA: https://www.wola.org/analysis/understanding-failure-of-us-cuba-embargo/