Cuba no longer a state sponsor of terrorism, Biden admin says

The Biden administration is reportedly set to reverse a decision made by the Trump administration in 2021 by lifting Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. According to reports from the Associated Press, this move is part of a deal brokered by the Catholic Church to secure the release of political prisoners in Cuba.

Cuba was first designated as a state sponsor of terrorism in 1982, but this designation was lifted in 2015. The Trump administration reinstated the designation in January 2021, accusing Cuba of supporting acts of international terrorism and providing safe harbor to terrorists. The decision to lift this designation is seen as a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy towards Cuba.

The State Department’s 2019 report highlighted Cuba’s close ties with other state sponsors of terrorism such as Iran and North Korea. The report also mentioned Cuba’s hosting of ELN leaders and fugitives wanted for terrorism-related activities in the United States.

Senator Marco Rubio, who is of Cuban descent, has been a vocal critic of Cuba’s communist regime. In 2021, he sponsored legislation in support of the Cuban people’s protests against the government. Senator Ted Cruz has also criticized the Biden administration’s decision, calling it unacceptable.

It is expected that President Trump, who is set to begin his second term next week, will reverse Biden’s decision to lift Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. Both Rubio and Cruz have indicated their intention to work with the incoming administration to address this issue.

Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department and the White House for comment on this development, but officials declined to provide a statement. Andrea Margolis is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, and readers can contact her with story tips at andrea.margolis@fox.com.