For the final days of his administration and his final foreign policy decisions, US President Joe Biden has decided to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Just before leaving in 2021, Donald Trump had put Cuba back on the list of states supporting terrorism. In the same circumstances, Joe Biden therefore undoes what his predecessor and successor had done, reports our correspondent in Washington, Guillaume Naudin.
By doing so, Joe Biden is returning to a policy decided by Barack Obama when he was president and when he had reestablished diplomatic relations with the communist regime and lifted part of the sanctions hitting the island.
The move will trigger the release of more than 500 political prisoners as part of a deal negotiated with the help of the Catholic Church, according to a senior Biden administration official. But this announcement will probably not please the Trump administration 2.
-Release of 553 prisoners
Havana has indeed announced the upcoming release of 553 prisoners. “ As is customary in our judicial system, we have taken the unilateral and sovereign decision to release 553 people convicted of various offenses », declared on X the Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel.
The Trump administration will nevertheless be able to reverse this decision when it returns to business next week.
Read more on RFI
