US to remove Cuba from state sponsors of terrorism list

President Joe Biden will remove the US designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism as part of a deal to free prisoners, the White House said.

President-elect Donald Trump reclaimed his name in the final days of his first term in office in 2021, suspending US economic aid and arms exports to the country.

But on Tuesday, Biden’s top administration official said the investigation into the situation did not provide “information” consistent with the allegations he had made.

Cuba said the move was a “decent” step despite being “limited”.

“This decision puts an end to the coercive measures that, along with many others, are causing serious damage to Cuba’s economy, and causing serious damage to the people,” the country’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

The latest hope is that this will lead to the release of some of the protesters who were arrested after the massive anti-government protests in Cuba due to the country’s economic slowdown in 2021.

A White House official said more prisoners “will soon be released” as part of the deal, led by the Catholic Church.

Cuba currently sits alongside North Korea, Syria and Iran list of US State Sponsors of Terrorism.

This means that he is considered by the US to have “repeatedly supported international terrorism”.

Adding Cuba to the list after it was removed in 2015 by President Barack Obama, Trump also said the communist country supports Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

At the time, Cuba called the move “absurd,” “fraud” and “political opportunism.”

Along with advocating for the release of the prisoners, this decision is also important because it can be seen as a step to establish relations between Cuba and the US.

This may pave the way for discussion on other contentious issues.

It could also help Cuba’s financial crisis, as some major banks and foreign investors have struggled to legally operate there.

Biden will brief Congress on his plans, which include rolling back Trump-era economic sanctions on Cubans, a White House statement said.

They will also stop the ability of people to claim that they have confiscated goods from Cuba, he said.

It is unclear whether Trump will reverse the latest decision when he returns to office on January 20.

The president-elect’s choice to be the next secretary of state of the United States, Marco Rubio, has long advocated for an end to sanctions on Cuba.

His family left the country in the 1950s before the communist revolution that put Fidel Castro in power.