President Joe Biden will lift the US designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism as part of a prisoner release agreement, the White House said.
President-elect Donald Trump reinstated the designation 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 an assessment of the situation did not turn up “any information” supporting the appointment.
Cuba said the move was a step “in the right direction” despite its “limited nature”.
“This decision puts an end to specific coercive measures that, among many others, are causing serious damage to the Cuban economy, with a heavy impact on the population,” the country’s foreign ministry said.
The immediate hope is that the move will prompt the release of some protesters jailed after massive anti-government protests in Cuba due to the country’s economic downturn in 2021.
A White House official said a “significant” number of prisoners would be released “shortly” as part of the deal, backed by the Catholic Church.
Cuba is currently located next to North Korea, Syria and Iran list of US state sponsors of terrorism.
This means that the US considers them “repeatedly supporting acts of international terrorism”.
In putting Cuba back on the list after it was removed by President Barack Obama in 2015, Trump cited the communist country’s support for Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
At the time, Cuba called the move “cynical,” “hypocritical” and an act of “political opportunism.”
In addition to causing the release of the prisoners, this decision is also significant because it can be seen as a step towards the normalization of relations between Cuba and the US.
This could pave the way for dialogue on other contentious issues.
It could also help with Cuba’s difficult economic situation, as some major banks and foreign investors have struggled to operate legally.
Biden is to inform Congress of his plans, which also include rolling back Trump-era financial restrictions on some Cubans, the White House said in a statement.
It will also suspend the ability of individuals to file claims for confiscated property in Cuba, according to the statement.
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 on Cuba.
His family left the country in the 1950s before the communist revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power.
