The Trump administration has re-listed Cuba as a “state sponsor of terrorism,” reversing a decision of the Obama administration in 2015 as part of an effort to improve relations with the country.
“The Trump administration has been focused from the outset to deprive the Castro regime of the means it is using to oppress its people at home, and counter its malicious interference in Venezuela and the rest of the Western Hemisphere,” he said. Secretary of State. Mike Pompeo
Mike Pompeo Lawmakers press back on late Trump terror designation for Yemen’s Houthis Pompeo feud with US global media agency intensifies Trump administration calls Cuba a ‘state sponsor of terrorism’ MORE in a statement Monday, referring to Raúl Castro. “With this move, we will once again hold the Cuban government to account and send out a clear message: the Castro regime must end its support for international terrorism and undermining US justice.”
The move, which comes just over a week before the president-elect Joe Biden
Joe Biden Capitol Police Confirms Investigation Into Some Officers’ Behavior During Riot GOP Lawmakers Told Trump Trump Takes Some Responsibility for Capitol Riot Director of Army Staff Disputes Capitol Police Chief Account of National Guard Deployment MORE takes office, puts Cuba on a list of countries such as Syria, Iran and North Korea. It subjects Havana to new sanctions, including restrictions on US foreign aid and a ban on the export and sale of defense.
In his statement, Pompeo accused Cuba of housing “killers, bombers and hijackers” as justification for the move. He used as an example the country’s decision to provide refuge in 1973 to an American who had been convicted of murdering a state soldier.
The Trump administration’s decision comes two months after Biden lost President Trump
Donald TrumpHouse GOP Leader Tells Members To Stop Spreading Riot Lies, Antifa DC Attorney General Says Trump Organization Falsely Paid K Bill Accrued During Inauguration 70K Q Anon Twitter Accounts suspended after the MORE uprising in the Capitol in the state of Florida, which has a large Latino population and where Republicans have tried to portray Democrats as socialists.
The government is also designating the Houthi rebels in Yemen as a terrorist organization, a decision that has sparked outrage among humanitarian aid organizations criticizing the US role in the Saudi-led war in that country.