President Barack Obama is removing Cuba from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.
The decision, coming after a review and recommendation from the State Department, removes a major stumbling block in the two countries’ efforts to normalize relations.
Obama sent a notification to Congress on Tuesday about his decision, noting that his administration had determined that the Cuban government had “not provided any support for international terrorism during the preceding six-month period” and that it had “provided assurances that it will not support acts of international terrorism in the future.”
Aside from Cuba, the other countries on the terror list are Iran, Syria and Sudan. Landing on the list subjects a country to U.S. restrictions on such things as foreign aid, financial transactions and defense sales.
According to the State Department, Cuba’s placement on the list had been partly due to its provision of safe haven to Basque separatists and members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.
Recent reports from State have noted, however, that Cuba has been helping facilitate peace talks between the Colombian rebels and Bogota and that its ties to the Basques have “become more distant.”
De-listing Cuba is one of many steps involved in restoring ties between Washington and Havana. On Saturday, Obama met with Cuban President Raul Castro while in Panama at the Summit of the Americas. It was the first time the two nations’ leaders had a formal face-to-face meeting in more than 50 years.
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