Following the Biden administration’s announcement on Tuesday that it was removing Cuba from the list of states that fund terrorism and implementing other goodwill measures, Cuba announced that it will release 553 political prisoners.
The communist-run government and the Catholic Church had been negotiating the detainees’ release. After the historic islandwide protests in July 2021, the most of them were imprisoned. More than 1,000 people were first arrested in a ruthless crackdown. Many received penalties of up to 30 years in prison.
“I thank all those who contributed to the decision announced today by the United States to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, where it should never have been,” Miguel D az-Canel, the president of Cuba, wrote “Together with two other measures adopted, they have had a high cost for the country and Cuban families.”
Prior to Cuba’s statement, a senior administration official informed reporters that Biden would inform Congress of his intention to remove Cuba from the terrorism list and take other steps to support the Catholic Church and facilitate the deal.
According to the Biden source, an evaluation has been conducted, and there is no evidence to sustain Cuba’s designation as a state supporter of terrorism.
Just before he stepped down in January 2021, President-elect Donald Trump declared Cuba a state sponsor of terrorism, five years after President Barack Obama had done so. When Trump assumes office next week, he will have the ability to undo Biden’s acts.
Mario D. Az Balart, Maria Elvira Salaz r., and Carlos Gimenez, three Cuban American Republican members of Congress from Florida, released a video on X criticizing Biden’s actions and labeling them “pathetic.”
Biden’s actions were attacked by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, whose father is Cuban. “On its face, today’s decision is unacceptable,” he wrote in a statement. The Cuban leadership has continued to promote terrorism. Together with President Trump and my colleagues, I will endeavor to quickly overturn the judgment and minimize its negative effects.
The announcement of Biden’s activities was warmly received in Havana, Cuba.
“This is unquestionably beneficial for our nation since it would give us greater resources and opportunities. It’s progress. Bartender Dainerys Hernández stated, “One step at a time.”
Public servant Joel Rivera concurred. I believe it’s a wise choice. We should not be on that list in the first place, so it is correct that we ought to be removed,” he stated.
The Biden administration would also remove Cuba from the list and waive Title III of the Helms Burton Act, which permits the original owners of properties seized in Cuba decades ago to bring legal action against foreign firms involved in their trafficking.
The first president to not waive Title III was Trump in 2019. The 1996 statute, technically known as the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act, had been waived every six months by every president prior to him because of concern that it may hurt U.S. trade.
The Biden official stated that he expects and anticipates that the steps made today will provide immediate assistance to the scores of Cubans who were jailed during the July 2021 protests, as well as relief to their relatives.
By rescinding National Security Presidential Memorandum 5, which was first created on June 16, 2017, Biden is also relieving some of the economic pressure on Cuba.
According to the senior administration official, today’s measures show that President Biden’s Cuba policy, which aims to achieve tangible achievements for human rights in Cuba, would benefit the Cuban people.
The possible influence of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Trump’s choice for secretary of state and a Cuban American, has fueled speculation about his foreign policy. Rubio has consistently supported a tough stance toward Cuba as a foreign policy hawk.
Trump appointed Mauricio Claver-Carone as his special envoy for Latin America. Claver-Carone was the mastermind behind several of Trump’s harsh policies in the region during his first term.
CORRECTION (at 9:36 p.m. ET on January 14, 2025): The situation of political prisoners in Cuba was misreported in an earlier version of this article. They haven’t been released yet; they will be.