The Biden administration will remove Cuba from the state sponsor of terrorism list as part of a deal for the release of political prisoners in exchange for an easing of restrictions.
The Catholic Church facilitated the agreement with Cuba that would allow for the humanitarian release of dozens of political prisoners before the end of the Biden administration at noon on Jan. 20, a senior administration official said. The prisoners were arrested after a brutal government crackdown on the 2021 protests.
It is a political move likely to be reversed by the incoming Trump administration. Sen. Marco Rubio, Trump’s pick for secretary of state whose family fled Cuba in the 1950s, has previously spoken out in favor of sanctions on the communist country.
Senior administration officials said there is no evidence based on a recent government assessment to support an ongoing state sponsor of terrorism, and the Trump administration will be working off the same information if they decide to re-designate Cuba. The Biden team has been in touch with their counterparts on the Trump team on the issue.
President Barack Obama similarly removed Cuba from the terrorism list, before his successor, President-elect Donald Trump, added Cuba back on in 2021.