- Ted Cruz said any softening of Cuba is a risk to U.S. national security
The Biden administration is preparing to announce it will revoke Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, reports say, drawing an angry wave of condemnation from Republicans.
Senator Ted Cruz, whose father was Cuban, vowed to work with Donald Trump’s new administration to immediately reverse the expected move.
“Obama-Biden officials are continuing their legacy of shutting down governments with appeasement of the Cuban regime,” he said.
“They are pushing these policies because they believe in them and to undermine the incoming Trump administration and the Republican Congress.”
He warned that any softening of the U.S. stance toward the island risked “incredible damage” to U.S. national security.
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Barack Obama’s administration repealed the designation during a period of warming relations, but it was reinstated on January 11, 2021, during the final days of Donald Trump’s term in office.
Officials cited Cuba’s close ties to the oppressive regime in Venezuela as justification, as well as its refusal to extradite Colombian rebels to Colombia.
Biden indicated during the 2020 election campaign that he would take a softer line, but took until his final week to change policy.
On Tuesday afternoon, Senator Ted Cruz denounced the expected move and vowed to work with the new Trump administration to restore the designation.
Aparade commemorating the 66th anniversary of the caravan of freedom, led by the late Fidel Castro, in Havana, Cuba, on January 8, 2025
Human rights groups and activists, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, have pushed Biden to lift the restrictions, warning that Cuba was on the brink of economic collapse.
About 35 former leaders from around the world wrote a letter to Biden in September, urging him to remove the state sponsor of terrorism label.
“The reasons we provide for requesting the removal of Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism are based on a strong humanitarian appeal aimed at alleviating the situation of millions of innocent people and on our deep belief that the government of Cuba is seriously guilty of combating terrorism. terrorism and in favor of peace in the region and the world,” said the letter, signed by Dilma Rousseff, former President of Brazil, and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, former President of Argentina, among others.
“No country should compromise for political purposes on the seriousness of the fight against the scourge of terrorism.”
On Tuesday afternoon, the Associated Press reported that the Biden administration was expected to withdraw the designation.
The issue is sure to be raised with Trump’s new Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, when he appears before senators for his confirmation hearing on Wednesday.
His family left Cuba before the communist revolution brought Fidel Castro to power, but he has long been hawkish in his stance on sanctions on the island.