Joe Biden removes Cuba from list of "countries that sponsor terrorism"

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US President Joseph Biden removed Cuba from the list of “countries that sponsor terrorism.” In return, Cuban authorities will release political prisoners detained after anti-government protests in 2021.

Outgoing US President Joe Biden on January 14 removed Cuba from the blacklist of “terrorist sponsors” of countries. Biden also lifted a number of sanctions imposed by Donald Trump during his first term. The sanctions worsened the economic crisis on the island. A few days later, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel announced that 553 prisoners would be gradually released from prison. The agreement to release political prisoners on the island was concluded with the assistance of the Catholic Church.

The protests in July 2021 were the largest since Fidel Castro's revolution in 1959. Thousands of people have turned out for anti-government protests amid Cuba's worst economic crisis since the collapse of the Soviet Union and a surge in coronavirus cases. People expressed outrage over shortages of basic goods, restrictions on civil liberties and the government's handling of the pandemic. Human rights organizations note that at least a thousand people were detained after the demonstrations. Cuban authorities said the detainees had committed crimes: arson, vandalism, and sedition.

Marisela Sosa, vice president of Cuba's highest court, said those released would be supervised and could be jailed again if they violate parole terms: "This is not an amnesty or a pardon," Sosa said on state television.

Biden's decision could be reversed by Trump as early as next week, after he takes office. The sanctions imposed by Trump on Cuba in 2021 directly affected tourism to Cuba, one of the main sectors of the economy. Travelers visiting countries on the list of “terrorist sponsors” are not eligible for visa waivers into the United States. The sanctions have made it more difficult to maintain international business as foreign banks have canceled the accounts of those remitting money to Cuba.

Despite the easing of restrictions, the trade embargo against Cuba, imposed by the United States in 1960, remains in place. The UN General Assembly has repeatedly demanded by an absolute and overwhelming majority to lift the embargo.