By Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Frances Robles
Earlier this week, U.S. officials revealed that President Joe Biden is set to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism as part of a deal anticipated to release protesters who were incarcerated during a 2021 suppression of dissent by the communist regime.
Typically, delisting Cuba from this list would create expectations for improved relations between Washington and Havana, alongside renewed prospects for economic investments within Cuba.
However, Biden’s decision represents just the latest in a continuum of conflicting U.S. stances toward Cuba by various administrations. The Obama administration previously removed Cuba’s terrorism designation in a bid to normalize relations. Yet, in the final days of Donald Trump’s presidency in 2021, Cuba was reinstated on the list.
According to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, Biden’s action was influenced by the “guidance and counsel provided by numerous global leaders, particularly from Latin America, who have encouraged him to pursue these measures to enhance the human rights of the Cuban people.”
Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, Trump’s expected choice for secretary of state in the new administration, is anticipated to disagree with Biden’s last-minute move regarding Cuba. Rubio’s family fled from Cuba to the U.S. before Fidel Castro’s regime took control in 1959, and he has consistently been among the Republican Party’s foremost proponents of a tough stance against Cuba.
Mauricio Claver-Carone, recently appointed as Trump’s envoy to Latin America, mocked the announcement. “Whether it’s Venezuela last year or Cuba now, the Biden administration appears to favor deceptive agreements that benefit authoritarian, anti-American regimes,” he remarked, referring to a 2023 prisoner exchange with Venezuela.
When asked if the Trump administration would promptly undo this decision, he stated, “There’s a procedure, so it will take time, but we can implement other measures in the meantime that will be even more impactful.”
Biden’s decision is the latest action within a series of environmental, immigration, and foreign policy steps taken in the closing weeks of his term before Trump resumes the presidency.
If upheld, this move by Biden could aid Cuba’s struggling economy. Inclusion on a terrorism list subjects a country to economic sanctions, which may include restrictions on receiving U.S. aid and a ban on defense exports and sales, as per the State Department. Major banks ceased operations with Cuba due to the complicated nature of ensuring compliance with legal requirements. Nevertheless, even without the terrorism label, Cuba would still face challenges due to the ongoing U.S. trade embargo.
John Kavulich, president of the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council, a business organization, noted that U.S. firms are unlikely to alter their strategy regarding Cuba, recognizing the volatility of relations between the two countries. He indicated that the decision would likely be overturned as soon as Rubio “gives President Trump a pen.”
“Any benefit gained by the Biden-Harris administration is not worth the cost,” he remarked.
With Cuba’s removal from the list, only North Korea, Iran, and Syria remain.
The Biden administration’s announcement also included measures aimed at alleviating economic sanctions against Cuba. U.S. officials indicated they would waive a provision of a 1996 statute permitting lawsuit filings in American courts over properties taken by the Cuban government. Additionally, the Biden administration intends to revoke a national security memorandum established during Trump’s tenure that imposed sanctions on entities within the Cuban military overseeing the hotel sector, complicating large-group visits by U.S. tour operators.
According to U.S. officials, who requested anonymity to discuss Biden’s decision beforehand, the United States is undertaking these actions as part of an initiative, advocated by the Catholic Church, to release political prisoners.
Hundreds of demonstrators were arrested in July 2021 during a severe crackdown following one of the largest protests in Cuba since the communist regime assumed power approximately sixty years ago. The protesters expressed their frustrations regarding the country’s lack of freedoms and significant economic downturn.
Human rights organizations report that some of those detained during and after the protests endured torture and that many received lengthy prison sentences following unjust trials. Roughly 1,000 political prisoners are currently imprisoned in Cuba, with about half of these cases stemming from the July 2021 demonstrations, according to human rights advocates.
In a public statement, Cuba’s Foreign Ministry revealed that President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez decided to “gradually” release 553 individuals “who had been convicted, in accordance with due process, for various crimes punishable by law” after conferring with Pope Francis. This action coincided with the Catholic Church Jubilee, a year dedicated to mercy and forgiveness.
Alejandro González Raga, a dissident released in a 2008 agreement and subsequently relocated to Spain, emphasized that at least four key opposition leaders in Cuba remain incarcerated, insisting that they and all other political prisoners should be freed unconditionally and without the requirement for exile.
In a social media message, Díaz-Canel expressed appreciation to all who contributed to the decision to delist Cuba from a list he claimed should never have included the nation, stating it “has a significant toll on Cuban families.”
“We will persist in challenging and condemning the economic conflict and actions of interference, disinformation, and discredit funded by U.S. federal resources,” he declared.
Numerous experts have long denounced Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, attributing that classification to the dire economic conditions that have led to a humanitarian and migration crisis on the island. The Cuban government has faced increasing difficulties in maintaining electricity services and ensuring stores remain well-stocked.
“The law governing the terrorism list specifically addresses providing material support to terrorists or sheltering those engaged in terrorism, while they are being harbored,” observed William LeoGrande, a Cuba expert at American University. “Cuba simply does not fit this criteria.”
While several U.S. fugitives are living in Cuba, LeoGrande argued they should not be considered because they are Americans involved in politically motivated violence domestically, not international terrorists.
