Politics Biden wants to remove Cuba from terror list again
Shortly before the end of his term in office, US President Joe Biden wants to remove Cuba from the US terror list. "We have no information to support Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism," said a high-ranking US government official. Biden wants to inform Congress, which has to examine such a decision, today, according to reports in Washington.
14.01.2025, 21:29
SDA
The move is likely to be primarily symbolic in nature. Biden's predecessor and successor Donald Trump had put Cuba back on the list shortly before the end of his first term of office.
Whether Cuba is actually removed from the terror list in the end will now be in Trump's hands again. He could reverse Biden's decision immediately after his inauguration on Monday.
"Gesture of goodwill"
With the announcement, the US government wants to ensure that people unjustly imprisoned in Cuba are released, including people who took part in protests against the Cuban leadership in 2021. The Catholic Church is also currently campaigning for this. "We believe that a significant number of people will be released," said a government representative. It is assumed that some could also be released before the end of Biden's presidency on Monday.
The move is a "gesture of goodwill", helps the Cuban people and is in the national interest of the USA, said the government representative. The move would theoretically also lift certain restrictions on financial transactions with institutions in Cuba.
Terror list means tough sanctions
The designation as a state sponsor of terrorism is accompanied by severe sanctions. Among other things, US foreign aid is severely restricted, arms exports and sales are prohibited and export controls apply to goods that can be used for both civilian and military purposes. In addition to Cuba, North Korea, Iran and Syria are currently on the terror list.
Cuba was added to the US index in 1982, partly because it had given shelter to members of the Basque underground organization ETA and the Colombian guerrilla group FARC. Barack Obama's administration removed the socialist country from the terror list in 2015 - thereby removing an important obstacle in the diplomatic rapprochement between the neighboring countries after decades of ice age.
The Trump administration reversed this step in 2021, shortly before handing over to Biden. The reason given at the time was that the government was supporting international terrorism and oppressing its own people. Support for Venezuela's authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro was also denounced. Another reason given at the time was that the socialist Caribbean state had refused to extradite ten leaders of the left-wing guerrilla organization ELN to Colombia, where they were wanted for an attack on a police academy in Bogotá.
