Why Reinstating Cuba’s Terror Sponsor Label Is Correct

The reinstatement of Cuba’s State Sponsor of Terrorism designation is not only justified—it is essential for exposing the regime’s decades-long ties to terrorist organizations and addressing its ongoing threat to U.S. national security. With this decision, the U.S. reimposed critical sanctions on military-controlled entities, cutting off the financial lifelines the regime depends on to suppress internal dissent and extend its authoritarian reach abroad.

Official denials aside, all evidence points to a negotiation between the Biden administration and the Cuban regime. The near-simultaneous timing of their announcements reveals a calculated political deal. Under the guise of benevolent gestures to the Vatican, Havana once again exploits the suffering of Cubans imprisoned for exercising fundamental human rights—totaling around 1,161, more than half of those included in the announced excarcerations—using political prisoners as bargaining chips, as it has done throughout its history.