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Terrorism

Trump restores Cuba to State Sponsors of Terrorism list after Biden removal

The president of the United States revoked this Monday, in the first hours of his new mandate, the removal of the island from the list of countries that promote terrorism

Política
Donald Trump revoca la salida de Cuba de la lista de promotores del terrorismo | EFE

January 21, 2025 8:22am

Updated: January 22, 2025 8:58am

In the first hours of his second presidency, Donald Trump revoked a Jan. 14 order issued by former President Joe Biden that removed Cuba from the U.S. State Sponsors of Terrorism list.

Biden, who left power on Monday after four years in office, rescinded Trump’s National Security Presidential Memorandum 5 less than a week before leaving his post in the White House.

Following the order, the media in Cuba announced the release of several Cuban prisoners as part of a process mediated by the Vatican. That same day the Castro regime also announced the release of 553 people “punished for various crimes.”

Biden had also suspended part of the LIBERTAD Act that empowered U.S. citizens to sue those doing business with expropriated properties from Cuba. It also lifted some financial sanctions.

The inclusion of Cuba in the list of countries that promote terrorism in January 2021 was one of the last decisions that Trump made before leaving power in his first term (2017-2021).

The United States then justified the measure by referring to the presence on the island of members of the Colombian guerrilla National Liberation Army (ELN), who traveled to Havana to begin peace negotiations with the Colombian government.

This designation implies a ban on arms sales with that country, greater control of its exports, restrictions on foreign aid, greater visa requirements and various economic sanctions.

President Ronald Reagan added Cuba to the list in 1982, but was removed in 2015, during the rapprochement stage promoted by the then President Barack Obama (2009-2017) and stopped by Trump, who during his first term redoubled the sanctions on Havana. and stopped the “thaw.”

The outgoing Biden administration had made some gestures towards the island, such as the elimination of the remittance limit for Cuba but had kept Cuba on that list until mid-January to which the country now returns.

In his nomination hearing as Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who was confirmed this Monday by the Senate, declared last week that he had "zero doubts" that Cuba is a country that promotes terrorism.

When the departure took place, the Cuban-American Executive described Washington's announcement as a “decision in the right direction” - although limited. The island’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that it was a “very limited and late” step regarding a “cruel and unjust” policy.

So far the dictatorship has not offered statements on the matter.

Trump also announced that he will revoke 78 of the executive actions issued by the previous administration.