Castro, Colombia and Venezuela

Answer:   Cuba has a long history of aiding and abetting terrorists and fugitives from U.S. justice, which is why it has remained on our terrorist list.

We continue to be concerned by Cuba’s support for terrorist organizations in Colombia. The two largest terrorist organizations there, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN), continue to maintain a presence and receive training in Cuba.

As for Venezuela, we are concerned about any action that might impede free and fair democratic processes in the Hemisphere. We remain troubled by the close ties between the government of Venezuela under President Hugo Chavez and the Castro regime and by the large presence of Cuban personnel in Venezuela. Past experience — such as in Nicaragua and Grenada — demonstrates that Castro’s involvement has accompanied a breakdown in democratic processes.