Biden Removes Cuba From Terror List, Critics Slam Move as ‘Too Little, Too Late’

In an action that could be overturned by the upcoming Trump administration, President Joe Biden informed Congress on Tuesday of his decision to take Cuba off the U.S. State Sponsors of Terrorism list. This designation has long been criticized as baseless and driven by political motives.

The White House released a memo stating that “the Cuban government has not supported international terrorism” and has given “assurances” it will not do so in the future. Consequently, the Biden administration intends to revoke the initial Trump administration’s January 2021 decision to include Cuba on the State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSOT) list and is looking to relax some sanctions affecting the economically challenged island of 11 million people.

The decision to list Cuba as an SSOT primarily stemmed from its alleged protection of leftist Colombian insurgents and several American fugitives accused of decades-old crimes. This occurred despite no other nation being added to the SSOT list for similar reasons, and despite some Cuban exiles—who committed acts of terrorism—receiving citizenship and even being celebrated in the United States.

“This decision, though limited, is a step in the right direction. It aligns with the persistent and strong demands of the Cuban government and its people, as well as the widespread and repeated calls from many governments, particularly those in Latin America and the Caribbean, Cubans living abroad, and various political, religious, and social organizations, including numerous political figures from the United States and other nations,” stated the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“It’s crucial to understand that the economic embargo and many of the dozen coercive measures imposed since 2017 to reinforce it still remain in effect. These measures have full extraterritorial impact and violate international law and the human rights of all Cubans,” the ministry further noted.

For 32 consecutive years, the United Nations General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly in favor of resolutions condemning the U.S. embargo on Cuba. In these instances, the United States, typically with just a few other countries, has opposed these resolutions. The most recent vote ended with 187 countries opposing the U.S. stance, with only Israel siding with the U.S.

Following Biden’s announcement, Cuba declared it would “gradually” free 553 political prisoners after discussions with the Catholic Church, as reported by The New York Times.

Many progressives have praised Biden’s change in policy. Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.) commented that the SSOT designation “has exacerbated the hardships for Cuban citizens without benefiting U.S. interests” and “has hindered Cubans’ access to humanitarian aid, banking services, and international travel.”

“It has also deepened shortages of food and medicine and exacerbated the island’s energy crisis, particularly following Hurricane Rafael,” she continued. “These difficulties have triggered an unprecedented migration wave, resulting in the largest exodus in the history of Cuba.”

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) described Biden’s decision as “a long overdue action that will facilitate the normalization of relations with our neighbor.”

“This is a move towards ending decades of unsuccessful policies that have only harmed Cuban families and strained diplomatic relations,” Omar added. “Removing this designation will aid the Cuban populace and open up new avenues for trade and cooperation between our countries. I am eager to continue efforts to forge stronger ties between our nations and advocate for policies that benefit both the American and Cuban people.”

David Adler, co-general coordinator at Progressive International, criticized the timing of the delisting as “far too little, far too late.”

Adler argued, “The President removing Cuba’s SSOT designation at the end of his term only means one thing: he knew from the beginning that the designation was just a pretext to penalize the Cuban people, yet he upheld it. It’s disgraceful.”

The peace advocacy group CodePink welcomed Biden’s policy shift but emphasized that “it’s unacceptable that it took this administration four years to address these injustices.”

“The President chose every single day to not alleviate the suffering of millions of Cubans by maintaining this designation,” the group stated. “As we acknowledge this long-overdue progress, we can only hope that the Trump administration does not reverse these crucial steps towards justice and diplomacy.”

Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a son of Cuban immigrants and a vigorous opponent of Cuba’s socialist regime, introduced a bill in 2021 aimed at preventing Cuba’s removal from the SSOT list. Trump has also appointed Mauricio Claver-Carone, a strong advocate for sanctions against Cuba, as his special envoy for Latin America.

Alex Main, director of international policy at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, noted that “although this decision, urged by 80 members of Congress years ago to reverse Trump’s ‘maximum pressure’ strategy, should have come sooner, it is nonetheless better late than never.”

“Sixty years of failed policies should be more than enough, and hopefully the new administration will have the wisdom and the courage to pursue a fresh course, one that serves the best interests of both the U.S. and the Cuban people,” Main concluded.

Cuba was originally added to the SSOT list in 1982 by the Reagan administration during a prolonged campaign of U.S.-supported exile terrorism, subversive attempts, failed assassination plots, economic sanctions, and covert operations aimed at overthrowing the revolutionary government led by Fidel Castro. Cuba claims that U.S.-backed terrorism has resulted in over 5,000 Cuban casualties and cost its economy billions of dollars.

Contrarily, Cuba has not engaged in any acts of terrorism against the United States.

Former President Barack Obama removed Cuba from the SSOT list in 2015 during a hopeful but short-lived thaw in relations between the two nations, which abruptly ended with Trump’s first term in 2017.

“Cuba will continue to oppose and condemn this policy of economic warfare, the interference schemes, and the disinformation and discredit operations funded annually with tens of millions of dollars from the United States federal budget,” stated the Cuban Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. “It will also remain prepared to foster a relationship of respect with the United States, based on dialogue and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, despite existing differences.”