President Joe Biden plans to remove Cuba from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism as part of a prisoner release agreement, the White House announced Tuesday.
Cuba responded by pledging to release 553 prisoners detained for various crimes, potentially including participants in 2021 anti-government protests.
Cuba’s inclusion on the terrorism list, reinstated by President Donald Trump in 2021, has imposed significant economic restrictions. The Biden administration’s review found no basis for the designation.
Cuba welcomed the move as a positive step, despite describing it as limited. Officials hope the decision will aid economic recovery and improve U.S.-Cuba relations, potentially paving the way for dialogue on other issues.
Biden is set to notify Congress and also plans to lift certain Trump-era financial restrictions on Cubans. The prisoner release will occur gradually, following talks mediated by the Catholic Church.
