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

President Joe Biden must remove the U.S. designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism as part of a prisoner release deal, the White House said Tuesday.

Shortly thereafter, Cuba announced that it would release 553 prisoners held for “various crimes.” Hopefully this will include participants in anti-government protests four years ago.

President-elect Donald Trump has been reinstated declaring the country a state of terror in the final days of his first presidency in 2021, banning US economic aid and arms exports to the country.

But on Tuesday, a Biden administration official said the assessment of the situation did not present “any information” to support the designation.

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

“This decision puts an end to specific coercive measures that, along with many others, are causing serious damage to the Cuban economy, with serious consequences for the population,” the country’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Hundreds of prisoners will be “gradually” released after talks with the mediation of the Catholic Church, a separate statement read several hours later.

Details of the prisoners have not been announced – the hope was that the deal would lead to the release of some protesters detained after large anti-government protests in Cuba over the nation’s economic decline in 2021.

Cuba currently sits alongside North Korea, Syria and Iran on the US State Sponsors of Terrorism list.

This means they are considered by the US to be “repeated supporters of acts of international terrorism”.

Adding Cuba back to the list after its removal in 2015. by President Barack Obama, Trump cited the communist country’s support for Venezuelan leader Nicolás 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 could pave the way for dialogue on other contentious issues.

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

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

It would also suspend the ability of individuals to file claims for confiscated 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 to be the next 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.