The outgoing administration recently informed Congress of its intent to lift the U.S. designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism as part of a deal facilitated by the Catholic Church to free political prisoners on the island.
Senior officials say "many dozens" of political prisoners and others the U.S. considers to be unjustly detained would be released by the end of the Biden administration, at noon Eastern on January 20. The U.S. would also reportedly ease some economic pressure on Cuba and a 2017 memorandum issued by then-President Donald Trump toughening U.S. posture toward Cuba.
"It was expected, believe it or not," responds Humberto Fontova, who fled Cuba in 1961 and has written several books on the regime. "Cuba watchers were waiting for the shoe to drop. We kind of knew it was going to happen."
He notes that one of President Trump's last acts during his last administration was reinstating travel and commercial restrictions on Cuba after Obama eased them in an attempt to obtain additional concessions.
As for this latest effort, Fontova downplays the Catholic factor.
"Catholic Cuba watchers refer to the current pope as Papa Che, making fun of Che Guevara because he is a leftist," Fontova relays. "He has been very sympathetic to the regime from his first day in office, and he's always gone out of his way to try to shield them from things like Trump's sanctions. In fact, he condemned Trump's sanctions because he's really the only president that has put teeth into the sanctions, commonly known as the Cuba embargo."
Congress and the incoming Trump administration will have the opportunity to review and potentially reverse Biden's actions, though the Biden administration has reportedly determined there is "no credible evidence" that Cuba is currently engaged in supporting international terrorism.
