Trump reclassified Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, reversing Biden’s decision

On his first day in office… President Donald Trump I repeat CubaDesignating the United States as a state sponsor of terrorism, reversing an executive order issued by former President Joe Biden just last week.

Biden had announced his plans to Raising the label As part of a deal brokered by the Vatican to release political prisoners in Cuba.

Following this announcement, Cuban authorities began releasing detainees, including some who were arrested during the 2021 protests due to economic hardship and government policies.

Among those released was 24-year-old Reyna Yacanara Barreto Batista, who was serving a four-year prison sentence for disturbing public order.

Barreto Batista told the AP that she and eight others were released from a prison in Camagüey, although officials warned them that their release was conditional on good behavior.

The Cuban government announced that it plans to gradually release 553 prisoners, placing this step within the framework of the Vatican’s Jubilee celebration in 2025, and not directly linked to US measures.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez criticized the reclassification of terrorism, calling it a “tool of political coercion” rather than a real counterterrorism effort.

Mr. Trump’s reversal is consistent with and supports his administration’s tough stance on Cuba Secretary of State Marco Rubiowho has long called for sanctions against the island nation.