U.S. officials announced Tuesday that President Biden will remove Cuba from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism as part of a deal expected to free protesters jailed in the communist government’s sweeping 2021 crackdown. .
Biden’s decision is the latest in a number of environmental, immigration and foreign policy decisions made in the final days of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s presidency before he returns to the White House. be. Removing Cuba would normally raise hopes for normalization of relations between Washington and Havana.
But Biden’s decision is just the latest in a series of conflicting U.S. approaches to Cuba by various administrations. The Obama administration decided to remove Cuba from the list. But just days before Trump left office in 2021, the Trump administration reinstated Cuba to that status.
Biden’s move could help Cuba’s battered economy. Major banks have stopped doing business with Cuba because they are too lazy to ensure that Cuba meets all the requirements to do business legally.
It is unclear whether Trump will reverse Biden’s decision.
U.S. officials said on condition of anonymity to preview Biden’s actions that the U.S. is removing Cuba from a list as part of an effort promoted by the Catholic Church to free imprisoned protesters. .
They followed one of the largest demonstrations since the communist regime took power in Cuba nearly 60 years ago, with demonstrators angered by the country’s spiraling economic decline and a brutal crackdown by the government. He was arrested and detained.
Human rights groups say some people arrested during and after the protests have been tortured, and many have been sentenced to long prison terms after unfair trials. .
Many experts have long criticized Cuba’s inclusion on the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
William Leogrande, a Cuba expert at American University, said, “The law creating a terrorist list is a law that allows terrorists to provide material support to terrorists, or while harboring terrorists who are actively engaged in terrorism.” “It stipulates that the information must be concealed.” “Cuba just doesn’t do those things.”
Several U.S. fugitives are residing in Cuba, but they should not be counted because they are American citizens, have been involved in politically motivated violence in the United States, and are not international terrorists. Leo Grande said.
