WASHINGTON – The Trump administration is bringing Cuba back to the list of countries that are considered state sponsors of terrorism, a senior US official said, canceling a 2015 move by the Obama administration to thaw ties with the Cold War adversary.
The reappointment, which will be announced on Monday, could complicate the efforts of President-elect Joe Biden to improve ties with Havana. It is the latest in a series of foreign policy steps the administration has taken in recent days to try to block policies before leaving office.
The list of the State Department to which Cuba joins includes Syria, Iran and North Korea. Cuba was removed from the list in 2015, while the Obama administration tried to build ties with the country, part of a campaign that included stimulating commercial air travel, reopening embassies and a visit by President Obama to the country.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to argue that the move is justified because Cuba has given refuge to an American convicted of killing a New Jersey state soldier in 1973 and citing other complaints against the Cuban government.
An official statement from the administration explaining the decision is expected to be issued later Monday.
Senator Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat who played an important role in improving relations with Cuba during the Obama administration, denounced the move as a blatantly politicized appointment designed to complicate the diplomacy of the future Biden administration.
“Of course we have differences with Cubans about fugitives from justice, as we have with many governments,” Leahy said in a statement. “But the secretary of state has not done anything constructive to solve this problem for four years, and this will only make it harder to solve.”
In recent days, the Trump administration has designated the Houthi as a foreign terrorist group, an action that will take formal effect on Jan. 19, eased restrictions on meetings between U.S. and Taiwanese officials, and acknowledged Morocco’s claims to Western Sahara. other stages. .
A transitional Biden official declined to comment on Cuba’s decision, but said Mr Biden and his team would review the latest moves and “issue a verdict based solely on one criterion: the national interest”.
Write to Michael R. Gordon at [email protected]
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