Jan 14 (Belly of the Beast) In a last-second surprise move, the Biden administration has removed Cuba from the U.S. government’s State Sponsors of Terrorism List.
There is “no credible evidence at this time of ongoing support by Cuba of international terrorism,” according to a senior administration official.
There was no credible evidence that Cuba sponsored terrorism when Trump put Cuba on the terror list four years ago.
But Biden ignored calls from across the political spectrum – including the UN, former U.S. officials and members of his own party – until now.
To read more about how Biden embraced Trump’s designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, check out our latest article by Alyssa Oursler and Jack McGrath.
Biden Also Suspends Title III
The Biden administration will also suspend Title III of the 1996 Helms-Burton Act, according to a senior administration official.
Title III allows U.S. claimants whose property was nationalized during the Cuban Revolution to sue companies for doing business on that property.
Dozens of lawsuits were filed against U.S. and European companies since Trump activated Title III in 2019.
Title III dissuaded foreign companies from investing in Cuba, cutting the island off from investment.
To learn more about Title III and its impact on Cuba’s economy read our article Billboards and Backchannels.
“Unilateral Steps” Could Lead to Prisoner Release
In a third move, the Biden administration is eliminating a list of Cuban “restricted entities” that are off limits to U.S. individuals and companies. The list includes dozens of Cuban hotels.
The list was established after Trump announced his rollback of Obama’s opening with Cuba on June 16, 2017.
A Biden administration official described these moves as “unilateral steps.”
However, the official said the administration expected these measures would lead to the release of “the many dozens of Cubans arrested in connection with the July 2021 protests.”
The official said the Catholic Church has advanced in talks with Cuba to release “political prisoners” and “those who have been detained unjustly.”
Policy Expected to be Short-Lived
Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, Title III, and the raft of other sanctions imposed by Trump, have devastated Cuba’s economy.
Throughout his administration, Biden has ignored calls to return to Obama’s opening, instead embracing Trump’s “maximum pressure” strategy against Cuba.
This sudden change in Biden’s Cuba policy would have been a promising sign for U.S.-Cuba relations and for the Cuban economy.
However, with Cuban-American hardliner Marco Rubio picked as Secretary of State, the incoming administration is expected to reverse the last-second moves.
To read more about Rubio and how his appointment as Secretary of State may affect Cuba policy, read our article HERE.
If you haven’t seen it, don’t miss our groundbreaking documentary about Biden’s Cuba policy, Uphill on the Hill.
