From his first day in office, President Donald Trump reinstated Cubaof state designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, reversing an executive order issued by former President Joe Biden last week.
Biden had announced plans has lift the designation as part of a Vatican-brokered deal to free political prisoners in Cuba.
Following the announcement, Cuban authorities began releasing detainees, including some arrested during 2021 protests against economic hardship and government policies.
Among those released was Reyna Yacnara Barreto Batista, 24, who was serving a four-year prison sentence for disturbing public order.
Barreto Batista told the AP that she and eight others were released from a prison in Camagüey, although authorities warned them that their release was conditional on their good behavior.
The Cuban government said it planned to gradually release 553 prisoners, framing the move as part of the Vatican’s jubilee celebration in 2025, with no direct link to U.S. actions.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez criticized the reinstatement of the terrorism designation, calling it a “tool of political coercion” rather than a genuine counterterrorism effort.
Mr. Trump’s reversal aligns with his administration’s hard line on Cuba and is supported by Secretary of State Marco Rubiowhich has long advocated for sanctions against the island nation.