The US will exclude Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism

President Joe Biden should revoke Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism as part of a prisoner release agreement, the White House said.

President-elect Donald Trump renewed the appointment in the final days of his first presidency in 2021, banning US economic aid and arms exports to the country.

But on Tuesday, a spokesman for the Biden administration said the assessment did not provide “any information” to support the designation.

Cuba said the move was a step “in the right direction” despite its “limited nature”.

“This decision will put an end to specific coercive measures, which, along with many others, are causing serious damage to the Cuban economy and seriously affecting the population,” the country’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The immediate hope is that the move will lead to the release of some of the protesters who were jailed after mass anti-government protests in Cuba due to the country’s economic decline in 2021.

A White House official said a “significant” number of prisoners would be released “shortly” as part of a deal promoted by the Catholic Church.

Currently, Cuba is close to North Korea, Syria and Iran List of US states that sponsor terrorism.

This means that the US believes that it has “repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism”.

In putting Cuba back on the list after President Barack Obama removed it in 2015, Trump cited the communist country’s support for Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

At the time, Cuba called the move “cynical,” “hypocritical” and an act of “political opportunism.”

Along with the release of the prisoners, this decision is also important because it can be seen as a step towards the normalization of relations between Cuba and the United States.

This may open the way for dialogue on other controversial issues.

It could also help with Cuba’s dire economic situation, as some major banks and foreign investors have struggled to operate there legally.

Biden is to tell Congress about his plans, which also include lifting Trump-era financial restrictions on some Cubans, the White House said in a statement.

It will also suspend the ability of individuals to file claims for seized property in Cuba, the statement said.

It is unclear whether Trump will reverse this latest decision when he returns to office on January 20.

The president-elect’s nominee for US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has long advocated sanctions against Cuba.

His family left the country in the 1950s before the communist revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power.