Florida Democrats criticized President Biden’s decision to lift Cuba’s State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST) designation in 2021 in exchange for the release of political prisoners imprisoned for protesting against the regime.
“The return of political prisoners from the hands of the Cuban Communist Party is cause for celebration, but the regime’s treatment of the Cuban people is one of the greatest human rights abuses of the last century,” said Nikki Fried, chair of the Florida Democratic Party. A statement was released on Tuesday.
“It would be naive to think that these negotiations will result in a change in the treatment of the Cuban people,” she added.
The Biden administration said Tuesday it would remove Cuba from the SST list, where it had been re-designated in the final days of President Trump’s first term. Biden administration officials said they had been in contact with the incoming Republican administration about the change.
Cuban diplomats have pushed hard to keep Cuba off the list during President Biden’s term in office. Following the announcement, Cuba’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the development but stressed that the economic “blockade” on the island “remains in effect.”
Prime Minister Fried criticized the administration’s decision and urged officials to change course.
“Generations of Cuban-Americans in Florida have been telling us about the brutality of the Castro regime, now led by Raúl’s handpicked successor, and the dangers they faced as they escaped to seek freedom in the United States,” Fried said.
“We condemn in the strongest terms Cuba’s removal from this list and the possible lifting of economic sanctions and urge the Biden administration to immediately reverse course,” she added.
The administration faced criticism from the other side, with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) calling the decision “unacceptable on its merits.” He is working with President-elect Trump’s team and fellow senators to “reverse the situation immediately.”
