On April 30, the US state department released its 2008 Country Reports on Terrorism.
The document claimed the governments of Cuba and Venezuela — anti-imperialist opponents of US foreign policy — support terrorism. Cuba and Venezuela both rejected the report and accused the US of hypocrisy.
In a May 2 article, former Cuban president Fidel Castro recalled the 1976 bombing of a Cuban passenger plane, killing 73 people, by CIA agent Luis Posada Carriles.
He pointed to the "participation of the United States in the events, the recruiting of Orlando Bosch and Posada Carriles, and the supplying of explosives, funds and the complicity of the intelligence agencies and the authorities of that country".
He also highlighted other terrorist attacks against Cuba sponsored by the US government. These included "the campaign of terror that preceded and followed the [US-organised 1961] mercenary invasion of the Bay of Pigs, the attacks on our coasts, towns, transport and fishing vessels".
The attacks have included the CIA-organised assassination attempts on Cuban leaders, no less than 600 of which were against Castro.
Castro said: "I am merely mentioning some of the acts of terror in which the United States has played a part, the ones recorded in their own declassified documents.
"Don't these events embarrass the current administration?"
On April 30, Cuban foreign minister Bruno Rodríguez told AFP that Cuba rejected all forms of terrorism. Due to the long history of terrorist acts organised by successive US government against Cuba and other countries, "We do not recognise any political or moral authority to the US government to make any list on any subject, or to 'certify' good or bad behavior".
The report also accused the Venezuelan government of President Hugo Chavez of "ideological sympathy" with left-wing guerrilla movements in neighbouring Colombia, which "limited Venezuelan cooperation with Colombia in combating terrorism".
A May 2 Venezuelanalysis.,com article said the report "criticizes Venezuela for not systematically policing its 1,400 mile border with Colombia" — allowing right-wing and left-wing armed groups to take refuge within Venezuela.
"The report also says Venezuela has not sufficiently investigated and prosecuted public officials who are suspected of supporting Colombian guerrilla groups."
The report also accused Venezuela of not properly monitoring flights from Iran, a country with which Venezuela has extensive economic agreements, but which is listed by the US as an official "terrorist sponsor".
However, the report is silent on the significant amount of aid the US government provides the Colombian regime of President Alvaro Uribe — with known ties to right-wing death squads. Colombia has one of the worst human rights records in the world, with trade unionists and other social movement activists regularly assassinated.
Chavez has repeatedly advocated the need for a peaceful, negotiated solution to the decades-long armed conflict in Colombia — and has offered to help facilitate peace talks. Early last year, Chavez negotiated the release of six prisoners held by the left-wing Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Chavez has also appealed to the FARC to end their armed struggle and seek a peaceful solution to achieve their goals, stating: "Guerrilla war is history."
Venezuelanalysis.com reported that, addressing a May Day rally the day after the report's release, Chavez said: "A new report by the U.S. government has come out attacking Venezuela once again. From here, I reject, in the name of the Venezuelan people, this new aggression by the North American empire.
"If there is any government that has attacked the people of our continent and the world, using different illegal, violent, terrorist methods for more than 100 years, it has been the United States government.
"Leave us in peace! We have been able to break the chains of centuries and be free.
"And we will be free."