27 January 2025
In the first hours of assuming the US Presidency, President Trump revoked the order published days earlier by the outgoing Biden Administration intended to remove Washington’s designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism (See Cuba Briefing 13 January 2025).
The effect is to reimpose tighter controls on US exports, restrictions on foreign aid, stricter US visa requirements, and a freeze on Cuba’s international financial transactions that might pass through US entities, by extension making most third country trade with the island more difficult or impossible.
Trump also reversed the changes to the so-called ‘restricted list’ which bans US companies and individuals transacting business with 231 entities or state related companies and 422 hotels and accommodations, unless licensed by the Federal government to do so. Although lifted by the Biden Administration in its dying days the sanctions will now be reimposed on designated Cuban companies in the tourism, hotels, financial, and services sector most of which are subsidiaries of the military controlled conglomerate, GAESA.
The future of the six months Biden waiver relating to Title III of Helms Burton which halted the right of claimants to take legal action against those alleged to be trafficking (benefitting) in expropriated assets remained unclear at press time.
The 20 January order revoking President Biden’s 14 January decision came as Trump also revoked the previous administration humanitarian parole programme for Cuban which had allowed 30,000 non-citizens per annum to migrate legally to the US from Cuba and three other nations. (See story under United States below).
Highlights in this issue:
- Finance Minister says budget a step towards sustainable development
- Cuba’s President stresses importance of military combat readiness as exercises begin
- New agreement reached on official debt with Paris Club
- Prime Minister reaffirms tourism’s success essential for economy
- Telecoms executive warns new investment in infrastructure required as demand surges
TResponding in an extended post on X, President Díaz-Canel wrote: “President Trump, in an act of arrogance and disregard for the truth, has just reinstated the fraudulent designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism. This is not surprising. His goal is to continue strengthening the cruel economic war against Cuba for purposes of domination. The result of the extreme economic blockade measures imposed by Trump has been to cause shortages among our people and a significant increase in the migratory flow from #Cuba to the United States.”
Subsequently, the Cuban Government issued a strongly worded declaration titled, “In the face of the imperialist onslaught, Cuba will win.” The lengthy statement described the US decision as showing an “absolute disregard for the truth,” but was unsurprising, noting that on 14 January Cuba’s Foreign Ministry had warned that “the government of that country could reverse in the future the measures adopted today, as has happened on other occasions ….” It described President Trump’s return to power as “the coronation of an emperor” with territorial ambitions, and the “Monroe Doctrine and Manifest Destiny” …. as …. “the guide for the new [US] government team.”
The statement went on to warn that “the new aggressive measures will continue to weigh, with a very damaging effect, on our economy, the standard of living, the potential for development …. as has been the case in recent years,” and to say that the US decision “will not divert us from the socialist path.”
In the light of the Cuban government’s earlier unwillingness to link the Biden Administration’s decision to an agreement with the Catholic Church that it would release 553 Cuban prisoners, the Cuban government could be torn between its close relationship with the Vatican and the Pope and a desire to respond to the Trump administration’s announcements by reducing or halting any further prisoner releases.
Reuters reported however, that the Bishop of Havana, Eloy Dominguez, who oversees the Catholic Church’s local relations with prisoners, said that Trump’s decision should not interfere with the process. “The release of prisoners in Cuba will continue,” Dominguez was quoted as saying.
However, the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights, based in Spain, expressed concern in a statement about “the possible cancellation, pause or delay of the release of political prisoners in Cuba.”
Other NGOs have reported that as at 21 January some 140-plus prisoners had been freed including some prominent activists. Most released had been imprisoned for participating in the street protests of 11 July 2021. Among those reported to have been freed is Pastor Lorenzo Rosales after serving three and a half years in jail. Britain’s Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, recently wrote to him to express the UK government’s continued commitment to seeking his release. (Cuba Briefing 13 January 2025).
Despite this, several NGO’s have noted that since Donald Trump reinstated Cuba’s terrorism designation the prisoner release process has slowed or halted. Commenting about what may now happen, an EU spokesperson called on Cuba to continue to release political prisoners.
In related news, Senator Marco Rubio, has been unanimously confirmed by the US Senate as the new US Secretary of State. The outcome and his swearing in followed a hearing that focussed on the detail of foreign policy issues and recognised his in-depth understanding of Latin American and Caribbean issues. His appointment received support from several Democratic senators.
Rubio and his incoming hard line Assistant Secretary of State for the Western Hemisphere, Mauricio Claver-Carone, also a Cuban American, are now expected to tighten and more closely coordinate US policy towards Cuba and the Latin America Caribbean region across the US administration. During his confirmation hearing, Rubio said he had “zero doubt” that Cuba is a state sponsor of terrorism.
27 January 2025, Issue 1264
The Caribbean Council is able to provide further detail about all of the stories in Cuba Briefing. If you would like a more detailed insight into any of the content of today’s issue, please get in touch.