The Biden administration reportedly plans to lift Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism on Tuesday, reversing actions taken in 2021 by the Trump administration.
The Associated Press reported the news Tuesday afternoon, but the White House has not yet confirmed or denied the report. The move is reportedly part of a deal sponsored by the Catholic Church to free Cuban political prisoners.
Cuba received the designation in January 2021, just before President Biden took office. At the time, the U.S. Embassy in Cuba accused the country of “repeatedly supporting acts of international terrorism in order to provide safe haven for terrorists.”
“From the beginning, the Trump Administration has focused on denying the Castro regime the resources it uses to repress its people at home and countering its malign interference in Venezuela and the rest of the Western Hemisphere,” the statement said. It's written as “I've arrived.” “With this action, we once again hold the Cuban government accountable and send a clear message that the Castro regime must end its support for international terrorism and the subversion of American justice.”
The Biden administration on Tuesday lifted Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. (Getty Images)
The statement referred to Raul Castro, the brother of notorious dictator Fidel Castro and then first secretary of the Cuban Communist Party. According to the State Department, Cuba was first designated as a state sponsor of terrorism in 1982, and the designation was revoked in 2015.
“Cuba maintains close and cooperative relationships with designated sponsors of terrorism, including Iran and North Korea,” a 2019 State Department report said. “The Cuban regime continues to keep ELN leaders involved in now-defunct peace negotiations in Cuba, despite Colombia's repeated requests for their extradition. Continues to harbor multiple fugitives who have committed or supported acts of terrorism in the United States.”
Trump, who will be sworn in for a second term as president next week, is expected to reverse Biden's move. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, the next Secretary of State, is of Cuban descent and has been a vocal critic of Cuba's communist leaders.
In 2021, Rubio sponsored legislation to support “the brave Cuban people who are leading historic protests across the island against 60 years of repression and oppression by the Castro and Díaz Canel regimes.”
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Aerial view of Havana City on August 2, 2017 in Havana, Cuba. (Frederic Soltan/Corbis via Getty Images)
“After 62 years of subjugation under communist dictatorship, the Cuban people are courageously standing up for freedom,” Rubio said of the 2021 protests. “This is truly a historic moment, and one that I am proud to witness as a Cuban-American. The Cuban people have made their voice clear. We must support ongoing efforts to combat “oppression and censorship.'' ”
Before Tuesday's announcement, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz blasted the Biden administration's move, calling it “unacceptable on its merits.”
“The terrorism promoted by the Cuban regime has not stopped yet,” Cruz said in a statement. “I will work with President Trump and my colleagues to immediately reverse this decision and minimize the damage.”
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President-elect Trump will succeed President Biden next week. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images, left, Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg, right)
Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department for comment, but officials declined to comment. Fox News Digital also sought confirmation from the White House.
