President Biden will remove Cuba from the US list of states that sponsor terrorism, US officials announced Tuesday. The removal of the designation is part of a deal expected to free political prisoners jailed in Cuba in 2021 during a crackdown on dissent, the New York Times reports. The Catholic Church facilitated the deal, and senior US officials who spoke anonymously to the AP said "many dozens" of political prisoners are set to be released before President-elect Trump takes office Monday. Cuban officials said 553 people would be released in total, but that the releases would happen gradually.
Biden's move also includes a lifting of a Trump-era policy imposing sanctions on Cuba, but it's possible the Trump administration could reverse Biden's decision. The Times notes that incoming Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose family fled Cuba for the US before Fidel Castro came to power, will likely oppose Biden's move. Trump's incoming envoy to Latin America also quickly spoke out against the move, but acknowledged it could take time to repeal. Without Cuba on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, only North Korea, Iran, and Syria will remain. "President Biden is ... honoring the wisdom and counsel that has been provided to him by many world leaders, especially in Latin America, who have encouraged him to take these actions, on how best to advance the human rights of the Cuban people," says the White House press secretary in a statement. (More Cuba stories.)
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