The U.S. will remove Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism as part of a prisoner release deal. Havana welcomed the move but criticised ongoing U.S. sanctions.

President Joe Biden is to remove the US designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism as part of a prisoner release deal.

"An assessment has been completed, and we do not have information that supports Cuba's designation as being a state sponsor of terrorism. The Government of Cuba has provided assurances that it will not support acts of international terrorism in the future," the White House said on Tuesday.

Speaking about Biden’s policy towards Cuba, the White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that “it focused on achieving practical results with respect to human rights in Cuba and reunify Cuban families, strengthen cultural and educational ties between Cuba and the United States, enable remittances to flow more freely to the Cuban people, and increase support for independent Cuban entrepreneurs.” Right after the statement from White House, Cuba announced its intention to release 553 prisoners detained for "diverse crimes". 

The deal for the release of prisoners in Cuba was reached within “a dialogue between the government of Cuba and the Catholic Church.”

With this regard White House official said: “We have been informed by the Catholic Church under the leadership of Pope Francis that the Cuban government will soon begin releasing a substantial number of political prisoners.”

There is hope that the list will include participants in massive anti-government protests four years ago. Human Rights Watch reported more than 1,000 individuals in Cuba met the definition of political prisoners.

The island nation was placed on the list on Jan. 11, 2021, during the first Trump administration. The White House said at the time its aim was “denying the Castro regime the resources it uses to oppress its people at home and countering its malign interference in Venezuela and the rest of the Western Hemisphere.”

Cuba welcomed Washington's announcement Tuesday as a step in the "right direction," but lamented it was still under US sanctions in place since 1962. 

Country’s foreign ministry said in press release: "Despite its limited scope, this is a decision that points to the right direction and is in line with the sustained and firm demand by the government and the people of Cuba." 
"The decision announced today by the United States, rectifies, in a very limited way, some aspects of a cruel and unjust policy… The economic warfare is still in place and persists in posing a major obstacle to the development and recovery of the Cuban economy, with a high human cost for the population; and continues to be an incentive for emigration," it added. 

Cuba has been one of just four nations designated as state sponsors of terrorism, along with North Korea, Iran and Syria. Designation implicates sanctions laws that penalize persons and countries engaging in certain trade with state sponsors in addition to the four main categories of sanctions including restrictions on US foreign assistance, a ban on defence exports and sales, certain controls over exports of dual use items, and miscellaneous financial and other restrictions.

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