On December 7, 2023, the Cuban Ministry of the Interior (Minint) published Resolution 19/2023 in the Official Gazette, identifying a cluster of individuals and entities deemed to be "associated with acts of terrorism."

This resolution categorizes 61 individuals and 19 organizations, assigning them to the "National List of Terrorists," with the majority having affiliations in the United States.

Included in the roster are individuals associated with what is commonly known as the "historical exile." Some among them advocated for the application of force against the Communist Party regime. Notable figures in this category encompass Guillermo Novo Sampoll, Pedro Ramón Crispín Rodríguez, and José Francisco Hernández Calvo, all allegedly implicated in Cases 1, 2, and 4 of 1999. These cases, as per the resolution, are linked to explosions in hotels and tourist centers in Cuba during that time frame.

The roster also underscores persistent anti-Castro activists like José Jesús Basulto León, Ramón Saúl Sanchez Rizo—who recently confronted potential deportation in a U.S. immigration court—and Santiago Álvarez Fernández Magriñá. Despite Santiago Álvarez 's previous engagement in violent opposition to Castro, he has shifted his focus to supporting small and medium-sized businesses in Cuba (PYMES). The rationale behind his inclusion in the list is linked to the alleged role he played in orchestrating attacks against Fidel Castro.

Conspicuously, the list comprises diverse communicators and influencers. Among them are journalists wielding significant influence within the exile community, including Ninoska Perez Castellón, who is accused in case 12/2010 investigating acts of terrorism in Cuba during the late nineties, orchestrated from the U.S.

The list further encompasses emerging influencers like Alexander Otaola Casal, Eliécer Ávila, Liudmila Santiesteban (Liu Santiesteban), Manuel Milanes Pinzonero, Alain Lambert Sanchez (Paparazzi Cubano), and Jorge Ramón Batista Calero (Ultrack). According to the resolution, these influencers, alongside the Director of the Cuban Democratic Directorate, Orlando Gutiérrez Boronat, and Eduardo Arias León, face accusations in case 71/2021 for "inciting actions that disrupt social order in Cuba through violent acts against public officials, disrupting the normal functioning of socio-economic entities, and promoting armed aggression against Cuba."

Influencer Ana Olema Hernández Matamoros is also among those listed, reportedly accused in case 8/2020 of "financing and executing activities aimed at destabilizing social order in Cuba."

The list further features activists such as Yamila Betancourt García (Yamila la Hija de Maceo) and Leo Juvier Hendrick, a Cuban based in Belgium engaged in activism within European institutions and the United Nations Human Rights Council. According to the document, Yamila is accused in cases 41/2020 and 2/2023 of inciting, financing, and executing sabotage and actions against the constitutional order in Cuba. Leo Juvier is implicated in investigative case 01/2021 for "inciting actions affecting social order in Cuba through violent acts against public officials and socially significant assets."

In its resolution, the Minint asserts that it has "reasonable grounds" and "properly documented evidence" to warrant the inclusion of these individuals and entities on the "National List of Terrorists."

It is noteworthy that a resolution signed since November 2, 2023, is published amid the media crisis following the detention of Manuel Rocha, a former U.S. ambassador accused of being a Cuban agent for more than 40 years, and Cuba's reinstatement in the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

The list is noteworthy, particularly in light of Cuba's persistent claim that it maintains Cuban agents/spies in the U.S. to protect itself from terrorism originating in the country. The compilation of this list serves a dual purpose: diverting attention to individuals deemed "terrorists" by the Havana regime on U.S. and European soil, thereby reinforcing the narrative that Cuba defends itself against terrorism allegedly emanating with impunity from the United States.

One of the clauses in the resolution references the UN Security Council's appeal for states to "collaborate in preventing and suppressing acts of terrorism, especially by enhancing cooperation and fully implementing international counter-terrorism conventions."

The use of such motivation acts as a reminder that a significant number of individuals on Cuba's list of terrorists reside in the U.S. without facing consequences. This is underscored by the inclusion of Alexander Alazo, who, on April 30, 2020, targeted the Cuban embassy in Washington. While Alazo has been detained and prosecuted by U.S. authorities, the Minint includes him based on a theoretical investigative case for the same actions he is already being tried for in the U.S.

The list seems more like a political document aimed at justifying the victimhood narrative of the Cuban communist regime than serving authentic repressive purposes or intentions of international cooperation.

This article was translated into English from the original in Spanish.