President Joe Biden is to remove the US designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism as part of a prisoner release deal, the White House said.
Biden administration official said an assessment of the situation had presented “no information” that supported the designation.
Cuba said Biden’s move was a step “in the right direction” despite its “limited nature”.
Shortly afterward, Cuba announced it would release 553 prisoners detained for “diverse crimes”. It is hoped these will include participants in anti-government protests four years ago.
“This decision puts an end to specific coercive measures that, along with many others, cause serious damage to the Cuban economy, with a severe effect on the population,” the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Hundreds of prisoners will “gradually” be freed following talks brokered by the Catholic Church, a separate statement read a few hours later.
Details about the prisoners have not been announced – it was hoped the deal would prompt the release of some protesters imprisoned after large anti-government protests in Cuba over the nation’s economic decline in 2021.
Cuba currently sits alongside North Korea, Syria, and Iran on the US State Sponsors of Terrorism list.
This means they are deemed by the US to have “repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism”.
Adding Cuba back to the list after its removal in 2015 by President Barack Obama, Trump cited the communist country’s backing of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
At the time Cuba called the move “cynical,” “hypocritical” and an act of “political opportunism”.
