Biden takes the initiative to propose Cuba’s state sponsor of terrorism – National
US President Joe Biden informed Congress of his intention to increase the name of the US Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, the White House announced, as part of an agreement made by the Catholic Church to release political prisoners on the island.
Senior U.S. administration officials, who previewed the announcement on condition of anonymity, said “dozens” of political prisoners and others considered by the U.S. to be unjustly detained will be released by the end of the Biden administration at noon on Jan.
The US will also reduce some economic pressure on Cuba, and a 2017 memorandum issued by then-President Donald Trump strengthened the US position towards Cuba.
“In taking these steps to strengthen the ongoing dialogue between the Cuban government and the Catholic Church, President Biden also respects the wisdom and advice given to him by many world leaders, especially in Latin America, who encouraged him to take these steps, regarding the best way to advance the rights of the Cuban people,” said White’s press secretary. House Karine Jean-Pierre in a statement.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba said on Tuesday that the government informed Pope Francis that it will release 553 people convicted of various crimes. It said they will be released gradually, as the authorities are considering legal and humanitarian measures to make that happen.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not link the release of the prisoners to the American decision to remove the designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, but “in the spirit of the General Jubilee of the year 2025 announced by His Holiness.”
Cuban authorities have not said who among the 553 people will be released.
The one-term Democrat’s determination is likely to be withdrawn as early as next week after Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, takes office and Secretary of State-designate Marco Rubio takes over as US diplomat.
Rubio, whose family left Cuba in the 1950s before the communist revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power, has long been a proponent of closing the island to the communist island. Rubio will appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday for his confirmation hearing and is expected to address his Cuban roots in his testimony.
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Trump also appointed Mauricio Claver-Carone, a former White House National Security Council aide and a staunch supporter of sanctions against Cuba, to be his special envoy to Latin America.
In the last days of Trump’s first administration, on January 11, 2021, the White House restored the name, which had been postponed during the tensions between Cuba and the United States during the second term of President Barack Obama. In doing so, the Trump administration highlighted Cuba’s support for Venezuela’s leader, Nicolas Maduro, and its refusal to return Colombian rebels to Colombia, among other things, including its continued detention of wanted Americans.
Trump’s move to designate Cuba was one of several foreign policy moves he made in the final days of his first term.
Nearly six months after Trump designated Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, the Biden administration imposed new sanctions on the island’s officials and the country’s revolutionary police after hundreds of Cubans were arrested during protests in Havana and other cities against shortages, power outages and government policies. It was the first such protests since the 1990s.
Human rights organizations and activists, including the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, have been pressing the Biden administration to raise the word to alleviate the suffering of Cubans who are feeling the impact of Cuba’s economic isolation.
The Cuban government recognized the announcement and expressed gratitude, although it considered it “limited.”
“Despite its limited scope, this is a decision that points in the right direction and corresponds to the continuous and strong demand of the government and the people of Cuba,” the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release.
“The decision announced today by the United States corrects, in a limited way, some aspects of the cruel and unjust policy,” it added.
Congress and the incoming Trump administration will have the opportunity to review and reverse Biden’s action, although top US officials say the Biden administration has determined there is “no substantial evidence” that Cuba is currently involved in supporting international terrorism.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba said that the government knows that the incoming government in the US can change this decision, but it will always be “ready to build a respectable relationship with that country, based on dialogue and not interfering in internal affairs.” both countries, despite their differences.”
There was no immediate comment from Trump’s transition team or from Rubio or his office, but one of his Republican colleagues on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen.
“Today’s decision is unacceptable on its merits,” Cruz said in a statement. “The terrorism promoted by the Cuban regime has not ended. I will work with President Trump and his colleagues to quickly reverse and minimize the damage from the decision. “
Rep. Carlos Gimenez, a Florida Republican, criticized the move and predicted that Trump would quickly reverse Biden’s decision.
“President Biden is a pathetic coward,” Gimenez wrote on X. “Come January 20th, there will be a NEW SHERIFF in town & President Trump & Secretary of State @SenMarcoRubio will not only put #Cuba BACK on the list but will RECOGNIZE the regime. once & for all!”
Biden in a national security memorandum released on Tuesday confirmed that Cuba has not provided any support to international terrorism during the past six months and has given the administration assurances that it will not support terrorist acts in the future.
The move comes after the administration in May removed Cuba from the State Department’s short list of countries it deems less than fully cooperating with violent groups.
AP writer Andrea Rodríguez in Havana, Cuba, contributed reporting.
