In a historic move that's shaking things up, U.S. President Joe Biden has announced plans to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism! 🎉 This exciting news came on Tuesday when the White House shared that the Biden administration notified Congress of this significant decision. 🙌
But what's behind this bold step? It's all part of a deal aiming to free political prisoners in Cuba and those deemed unjustly detained by the Cuban government. 🕊️ Senior officials from the Biden administration revealed during a press call that after a thorough assessment, they found \"no credible evidence\" that Cuba is currently supporting international terrorism. 🌐
This move reverses the actions of former President Donald Trump, who re-added Cuba to the terror list in January 2021, just before leaving office. Trump's decision had rolled back the efforts of President Barack Obama, who had previously lifted Cuba's terror designation during his time in office. 🕒
Now, the Biden administration expects Cuba to release \"many dozens\" of prisoners by the time Trump would be inaugurated again as president on January 20. ⏳
But that's not all! Also on Tuesday, President Biden signed a national security memorandum revoking a 2017 Cuba sanction policy known as \"National Security Presidential Memorandum 5,\" originally put in place by President Trump. 📄 This action effectively ends restrictions on certain Cuban individuals and entities engaging in financial transactions with U.S. persons and entities. 💰
To sweeten the deal, the administration issued a six-month waiver for Title III of the Helms Burton Act. This means that U.S. nationals and others are blocked from bringing claims in U.S. courts over property seized by Cuban authorities after the 1959 Cuban Revolution. 🏠
The Catholic Church, led by Pope Francis, also played a role in this breakthrough! 🕊️ The senior officials and White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre mentioned the Church's contribution to the prisoner release deal. Over the weekend, President Biden even awarded Pope Francis the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 🌟
This development signals a hopeful new chapter in U.S.-Cuba relations, and we can't wait to see what's next! 🤩
Reference(s):
Biden administration delists Cuba as state sponsor of terrorism
cgtn.com
