United States President Joe Biden has removed Cuba from the list of countries that promote terrorism, less than a week after he was replaced by Donald Trump, who put the island on the list subject to strict sanctions in his first term .
Biden made this decision to facilitate the early release of several Cuban prisoners, as part of a process mediated by the Vatican, as senior US government officials informed the press. The outgoing president also lifted some financial sanctions and suspended the ability of U.S. citizens to sue in U.S. courts for the expropriation of their property in Cuba.
As a result of these actions, the White House has expected the release of a “significant” number of prisoners in Cuba “in a relatively short period of time,” including some people who participated in the July 11 protests. 2021.
Announcing this decision, Biden administration sources explained that in recent years they have received requests from several partners (the European Union, Brazil, Colombia, Chile and Canada) demanding the withdrawal of Cuba from the list of countries that promote terrorism.
Cuba was added to the list in January 2021, in one of the last decisions Republican Donald Trump made before leaving power in his first term. The United States subsequently justified the measure by citing the presence on the island of members of the Colombian National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla, who traveled to Havana to begin peace negotiations with the government of Colombia.
The designation implied a ban on arms sales with that country, increased controls on exports, restrictions on foreign aid, stricter visa requirements and various economic sanctions.
The Caribbean island had been part of the list since 1982, but left it in 2015, during the phase of rapprochement promoted by then US President Barack Obama (2009-2017) and blocked by Trump, who imposed sanctions during his term in office. doubled against Havana and put an end to the “thaw”.
The outgoing Biden administration has made some gestures toward the island, such as eliminating the remittance limit for Cuba, but had kept Cuba on that list until now.
Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
