HAVANA — Cuba has strongly rejected a new United States Department of State report alleging that the Caribbean nation is involved in subversive activities against the US, describing it as a “mediocre propaganda pamphlet” intended to portray Havana as a security threat.

In a forceful statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on July 21, Cuba accused Washington of constructing allegations that could be used to justify tougher punitive measures or possible military aggression.

The Cuban government said the report, published by the State Department on July 20, was part of what it called a renewed slanderous campaign against the country.

“It seeks to bolster the mendacious message that Cuba constitutes a threat to the United States,” the ministry said, arguing that the narrative was being used to justify collective punishment against the Cuban population.

Havana further claimed that the accusations were designed to manufacture public and political support for a possible military confrontation.

The ministry accused the US government of hypocrisy, saying Washington spends millions of dollars annually on programmes aimed at influencing Cuba’s internal affairs and removing its government.

It also pointed to the United States’ history of military intervention, alleged violations of international law and interference in the political affairs of other sovereign countries.

Cuba additionally rejected its continued designation by Washington as a state sponsor of terrorism, insisting that the US has failed to provide credible evidence supporting the classification.

According to the statement, individuals accused of financing or organising violent activities against Cuba have instead received protection and operated with impunity from US territory.

The Cuban government also criticised what it described as Washington’s emerging campaign against so-called “left-wing terrorism.”

Havana said the phrase was being promoted to stigmatise progressive political movements, social activism and expressions of solidarity with Cuba both inside and outside the United States.

The ministry warned that the narrative could lead to increased repression and the emergence of what it described as a new form of McCarthyism targeting people who oppose US policy toward Cuba.

It claimed that opposition to the economic embargo and other punitive measures against Havana was growing among sections of the American public, including Cuban-Americans and their descendants.

Cuba also defended its diplomatic relations with other sovereign states, saying Washington had no authority to question partnerships conducted in accordance with international law.

The ministry said Cuba would continue promoting friendly relations with the American people and institutions while respecting the United Nations Charter, international law and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

The US government had not immediately responded to the accusations contained in Havana’s statement.