Havana, Cuba - Cuba's government on Tuesday said it would release 553 prisoners following the Biden administration's decision to remove it from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Cuba said it would release over 500 prisoners in response to the Biden administration's announcement that it would be removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. © Yamil LAGE / AFP
The was a step in the right direction, said Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, but the measures are "delayed & limited."
"Cuba should have never been included in arbitrary list of State sponsors of terrorism," Rodríguez said on X. "That was an arbitrary and politically motivated designation with very severe impact on the Cuban population, damaging economy, causing scarcities and encouraging migration to US."
"The persecution of fuel supplies, medical cooperation programs, financial and commercial transactions, tourism, US citizens’ travels and anything representing a source of income for our population is still in place," Rodríguez continued, as he called for an end to the devastating US trade embargo against Cuba, which has been in place since 1962 and is opposed by most of the world.
The planned release of the 553 prisoners convicted of various crimes is to take place in stages, according to the Cuban Foreign Ministry.
Hundreds of people are imprisoned in the country for participating in protests. It was initially unclear who would be released.
Biden's decision to rescind Cuba's damaging designation as a state sponsor of terrorism – wielded as a weapons against regimes that the US views with hostility – comes in the dying days of his administration.
It could be immediately rescinded by incoming President Donald Trump, who put the Caribbean country on the list in his first term. The decision will have to be reviewed by Congress.
