Cuba Issues Statement on Colombian Peace Agreement

Cuban Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rogelio Sierra Díaz, reported this Thursday that Cuba has decided to maintain for the time being the condition of guarantor of the implementation of the peace agreement between the government of Colombia and the FARC-EP.

Following is the MINREX statement:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba on June 4 issued a statement rejecting and denouncing the actions of political manipulation regarding Cuba’s role in the process to achieve peace in Colombia.  Those actions, clearly set forth in the declaration and previously notified through diplomatic channels to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, provided the pretexts for including Cuba in the spurious list of States that allegedly do not fully cooperate in the United States’ efforts against terrorism.

Days later, the United States —again in an arbitrary, unilateral and groundless manner— included Cuba in an annual report of the State Department on international terrorism, qualifying our country as a “safe haven” for terrorists, precisely because of the presence in Cuba of the ELN peace delegation.  

As is well known, the presence of the ELN peace delegation in Havana, recognized by President Duque’s government during the first four months of his mandate, until it decided to break off the talks following the attack on the Bogotá Police Cadet School, was in response to an express request from the Colombian government.  These individuals did not travel to Cuba on the run.  They traveled with the corresponding authorizations from the Colombian state.

Following the aforementioned attack, Cuba immediately publicly condemned the action and sent a message of condolence to the victims’ families and to the Colombian government.  On that occasion, it rejected and condemned all terrorist acts, methods and practices in all their forms and manifestations.

The Colombian government, in addition to breaking off dialogue with the ELN, ignored a previously agreed Protocol of Rupture for these cases and issued Interpol arrest warrants for the members of the ELN peace delegation in Havana, as well as requesting the extradition of some of its members.

For Cuba, it is contradictory that the government of Colombia has recognized on several occasions, both publicly and privately, Cuba’s role as guarantor in the peace process with the FARC, and yet it does not recognize agreements signed with our country, also as guarantors, in the peace process with the ELN.

On June 5th, in a communiqué, the Colombian Foreign Ministry stated its gratitude and recognition of our country’s role in the implementation of the peace agreement with the FARC; it also valued our interest in contributing to the achievement of stability and security in that country.

A similar statement was made by Mr. Emilio Archila, High Presidential Advisor for Stabilization and Consolidation, last June 26th, when he stated that the Colombian government “has never, at any time, questioned the benefits and the gratitude it has with Cuba in its role as guarantor of the agreements.”

Everyone knows that Cuba has always acted as guarantor with impartiality, transparency, discretion and at the request of both parties.  All of this has been done with the purpose of helping the shared desire for a comprehensive peace in Colombia.

Following the MINREX statement of June 4th, Cuba has received multiple requests within Colombia itself and from the international community regarding the advisability of continuing our role as guarantor of the peace processes in Colombia.  

In view of this situation, Cuba has decided to maintain for the time being our condition as guarantor of the implementation of the peace agreement between the government of Colombia and the FARC-EP.  We hope that the Colombian State recognizes the validity of the agreements signed with other states and complies with these commitments, in particular with the protocol on the rupture of the dialogue with the ELN.

Havana, July 9, 2020