THE STATE Department’s expected recommendation to remove Cuba from the list of nations that sponsor terrorism represents another important step in advancing the process of reconciliation between the two countries. The change of status for Cuba would help codify a growing realization that the Caribbean nation has more to offer as a friend than as a foe.
The decision to take Cuba off the list comes after President Obama asked for a review, and the department verified that Cuba has not aided terrorist groups in the last six months. The Caribbean nation was added to the list 33 years ago because of its support for members of Spain’s ETA, the Basque paramilitary group, and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC. But this new policy move recognizes the current political context in the region. Official government reports indicate that the relationship between ETA and Cuba has “become more distant.” More important, Cuba has been a critical partner in the ongoing peace talks between the Colombian government and FARC, facilitating and hosting the process that started two and a half years ago.
Cuba’s presence on the US terrorism list came with a host of political and financial sanctions. Now the island nation will stand better positioned to transform and strengthen its economy, with restored access to international capital markets and financial institutions. A new survey — perhaps the largest opinion poll conducted in Cuba by an independent company — shows that 54 percent of Cubans want improved economic opportunities. The poll also revealed overwhelming support in the island for the normalization of the two countries’ relations, announced unexpectedly last December: 97 percent of Cubans think the move is good for their country, and 96 percent are in favor of lifting the embargo, which only the US Congress can do.