Likely future Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubio, suggested on Wednesday that he could put Cuba back on the blacklist of states supporting terrorism, a measure which had been canceled the day before by the Biden administration. This statement comes against a backdrop of tensions between Washington and Havana, marking a possible return to a stricter policy towards the island under the future Trump administration.
The administration of Joe Biden, still in place, decided on Tuesday to remove Cuba from this list as part of an agreement which allowed the release of more than 550 demonstrators imprisoned on the island. This decision was a continuation of reconciliation efforts begun under Barack Obama, who had criticized the effectiveness of five decades of isolation imposed by the United States.
A return to the hard line envisaged
Marco Rubio, son of Cuban immigrants opposed to the revolution led in 1959 by Fidel Castro, expressed his disagreement with this decision during a Senate hearing. “There is no doubt in my mind that they meet the criteria to be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism,” the Florida senator said. Although he did not explicitly announce an immediate cancellation of Joe Biden’s measure, his comments indicate a likely reconsideration of this policy.
The senator notably accused the Cuban regime of links with groups designated as terrorist by Washington, such as Hamas and Hezbollah. “We also know that the Cuban regime, for example, hosts spy bases for not one, but two countries within its national territory, 90 miles from the coast of the United States.” , he added without providing further details.
A polarized political legacy
In 2021, a few days before leaving the White House, Donald Trump had already placed Cuba back on this black list, canceling Barack Obama’s diplomatic progress. Marco Rubio, a supporter of a hard line towards the communist island, seems to want to continue this orientation. He stressed that the Cuban regime was “openly friendly” with entities that the United States considers threats to its security.
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Cuba’s return to this blacklist would have significant economic consequences, drastically limiting foreign investment in the country. This measure would also risk increasing tensions between the United States and Latin America, where several countries have recently strengthened their ties with Havana.
