Mr. President:
First of all I would like to commend you for you work as President of the Security Council during the month of May.
I also thank the Chairpersons of the Committees created under resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004) for the information provided.
Mr. President:
For more than 45 years the Cuban people has been target of countless terrorist actions, jost of them masterminded and organized from US territory, with the support, protection and funding of the successive Governments of that country. As a consequence, the Cuban people have paid a high cost in human lives. A total of 3 478 people have died; while another 2 099 have been severely injured. The economic losses have also been very high for Cuba.
With full impunity, in Miami and other cities of that country, funds to carry out terrorist actions are provided and collected; the bank accounts that finance terrorism are openly and regularly operated, terrorist are recruited, purchase of weapons and use of the territory are allowed to those who finance, mastermind and commit terrorist acts against Cuba.
Instead of preventing and punishing terrorism against Cuba, the US authorities hold Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labañino, Fernando Gonzalez, Antonio Guerrero and Rene Gonzalez hostage in that country’s jails, after the Court of Appeals of the Eleventh Circuit of Atlanta decided unanimously to reverse their sentences and order a new trial, overturning the one held by a Miami-based crooked court, without the guaranties of a right process. These five youth were only trying, with plenty of altruism and courage, to obtain information about terrorist groups based in Miami, in order to prevent their violent actions and save lives of Cuban and US citizens.
Mr. President:
New evidences have been revealed about the US double standards in their so-called fight and international campaign against terrorism.
The United States continues failing to meet its international obligation of judging and extraditing the infamous international terrorist Luis Posada Carriles, whose extradition has been requested by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
This terrorist’s impunity is perpetuated by judging him as a "simple" illegal immigrant; despite that the US Government itself has acknowledged that he is a dangerous terrorist. In a letter sent to this person in March by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the abovementioned fact was acknowledged. Among other elements, the letter informed that "due to his long record of criminal activities and acts of violence, which caused the death of innocent civilians, releasing him would mean a risk for the community and the national security of the United States".
After 13 months of silence about the inquiries of the Cuban government, on last April 22, FBI documents where disclosed, which proved the complicity of the US authorities with the illegal entry of Posada Carriles in territory of the United States on board of the boat "Santrina", property of the notorious terrorist Santiago Alvarez Fernandez Magriña. For several months, the US Government denied knowledge of Posada Carriles’s entry in its territory, in spite of the fact that now it is clear that they knew it from the first day, because an undercover agent of the abovementioned US agency traveled on board of the "Santrina".
If they knew it, why did they not arrest him until several months later? Why did they not present charges immediately against the other terrorists that helped Posada Carriles to enter illegally in that country, like Santiago Alvarez and Osvaldo Mitat, who currently are in jail for arms smuggling and very serious violations of the US security laws?
Mr. President:
As another example that proves the legitimacy of the denunciations by Cuba, on last April 19 it was known that in Los Angeles, California, the Cuban-born citizen Robert Ferro had been arrested, who has in his house the outrageous number of 1 571 fire arms, including anti-missile weapons and some hand grenades, hidden in secret caches and rooms.
After his arrest, Ferro declared being member of the anti-Cuban terrorist organization Alpha 66 and that he had a group of 100 members in California and Miami ready and trained to carry out actions against the Cuban Government. Ferro also said to the press that "some of the weapons were secretly provided by the US Government with the aim of overthrowing Fidel Castro".
It is of public knowledge that Robert Ferro, owner of the arsenal, worked for the CIA and was an officer of the US Special Forces.
Mr. President:
Cuba has informed in details to the Counter-Terrorism Committee established under resolution 1373 (2001) about the terrorist actions of these and other individuals and organizations, as well as about the accomplice protection that the government of the United States provide them. So far, we do not have any indication that the CTC has taken any action to evaluate the information submitted and start an investigation on the breach of the obligations of the United States derived from resolution 1373 (2001) of the Security Council.
The Cuban Government reiterates its request to the Committee to carry out an evaluation of the information presented in documents S/2002/15, S/2004/753 and S/2005/341 among others, thus contributing to halt the impunity that those who have carried out terrorist actions against Cuba enjoy in US territory.
It is impossible to eliminate terrorism if only some terrorist actions are condemned while others are silenced, tolerated or justified, or the issue is simply manipulated in order to promote certain political interests. In order to advance, all hegemonic intention and aggression must be eliminated; all forms and manifestations of terrorism must be condemned and punished, in any part of the world, without excluding State Terrorism under any circumstance.
Thank you very much.
