The Biden administration’s decision to remove Cuba from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism is a catastrophic misstep, framed under the pretext of securing the release of political prisoners. This move, days before President-elect Trump’s inauguration, sends the wrong signal to an authoritarian regime with a long history of human rights abuses, support for terrorism, and its role as a strategic pawn for adversaries like Russia and China.
Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism was not arbitrary. It reflected decades of documented evidence of Havana’s complicity in international terrorism, from harboring fugitives like Joanne Chesimard to aiding and abetting insurgencies across Latin America. In 1996, Cuban fighter jets infamously shot down two unarmed civilian planes flown by Brothers to the Rescue, killing three U.S. citizens and one resident. These atrocities remain unresolved, and removing the terrorism designation whitewashes Havana’s culpability.
The implications of this decision extend beyond historical grievances. The recent unclassified report on Havana Syndrome highlights Cuba’s potential involvement in attacks on U.S. diplomats and intelligence personnel stationed in Havana. Beginning in 2016, U.S. officials reported debilitating symptoms ranging from vertigo to cognitive impairments, now believed to be linked to directed-energy weapons. While the intelligence community has yet to reach a definitive conclusion, the likelihood of Cuban complicity—directly or as a proxy for foreign powers—remains high. Rewarding such behavior with diplomatic concessions undermines the safety of American personnel and emboldens rogue regimes.
This decision also ignores Cuba’s entanglements with adversarial powers. Through investments in telecommunications infrastructure and other sectors, China has embedded itself deeply in Cuban affairs, gaining access to intelligence assets just 90 miles off Florida’s coast. Moreover, Cuba’s close ties to Russia, including support for the Maduro regime in Venezuela, further solidify its status as a destabilizing force in the region.
Senator Marco Rubio, poised to become Secretary of State pending Senate confirmation, has been a consistent and vocal critic of this appeasement strategy. His long-standing commitment to countering authoritarian regimes in the Western Hemisphere and safeguarding U.S. interests underscores the gravity of this misstep. Rubio’s tenure at the State Department presents an opportunity to reverse this ill-advised policy and restore a firm stance against regimes that threaten regional stability.
The Biden administration’s justification—that there is no “credible evidence” of ongoing Cuban support for terrorism—rings hollow. By this standard, Havana’s extensive ties to criminal networks, human trafficking operations, and drug cartels are conveniently overlooked.
The Trump administration has a clear mandate to correct this error. First, Cuba’s terrorism designation must be reinstated. Sanctions targeting its financial networks should be tightened, ensuring Havana cannot fund its authoritarian grip or act as a staging ground for adversarial activities. Second, the U.S. must double down and counter the threats emerging from Cuba, including further investigation into its role in Havana Syndrome. Finally, support for Cuban dissidents must be expanded, offering an alternative to the repression that defines Díaz-Canel’s regime.
Ultimately, removing Cuba from the terrorism list does not advance peace or human rights. It rewards a regime that continues to undermine U.S. interests and destabilize the Western Hemisphere. In the eyes of history, this decision will not stand as a testament to diplomacy but as a symbol of naivety and strategic shortsightedness.
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