Wednesday, January 15

Cuba frees 553 prisoners after Biden removes it from state sponsors of terrorism list

Following the Biden administration’s statement that it was removing Cuba from the list of statesponsors of terrorism and implementing other goodwill measures, Cuba released 553 political detainees on Tuesday.

The communist-run government and the Catholic Church had been negotiating the detainees’ release. Following the historic island-wide protests in July 2021, the most of them were imprisoned. More than 1,000 people were initially arrested as a result of a violent crackdown. Many were sentenced to long prison terms of up to 30 years.

“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.”

A senior administration source told reporters before Cuba’s announcement that Biden would be informing Congress of his intention to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, among other measures, to help the Catholic Church and make the deal possible.

According to a completed review, there is no evidence to warrant Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, the Biden official stated.

Shortly before his departure in January 2021, President-elect Donald Trump named Cuba a state sponsor of terrorism, five years after President Barack Obama had taken it off the list. Once Trump assumes office next week, Biden’s acts can be undone.

Republican members of Congress from Florida who are Cuban Americans In a video released on X, Mario D. Az Balart, Maria Elvira Salaz, and Carlos Gimenez denounced Biden’s actions as “pathetic.”

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Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, whose father is Cuban, denounced Biden’s behavior. “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.

“Our nation would benefit greatly from this since it would provide us with additional 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 Three 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.

Trump was the first president to refuse to waive Title III 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 the National Security Presidential Memorandum 5, which was first implemented on June 16, 2017, Biden is also relieving some of the economic pressure on Cuba.

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According to the Biden senior administration, today’s measures show that President Biden’s Cuba policy, which aims to achieve real outcomes for human rights in Cuba, would benefit the Cuban people.

The possible impact of Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Trump’s choice for secretary of state and a Cuban American, has sparked 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.

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