Florida Democrats rip Biden for lifting Cuba terror sponsor designation

The Florida Democratic Party slammed President Biden for his decision to lift Cuba’s State Sponsors of Terrorism (SST) designation in exchange for freeing jailed political prisoners who protested the regime in 2021. 

“While any return of political prisoners from the clutches of Communist Cuba is cause for celebration, the regime’s treatment of the Cuban people continues to be one of the biggest human rights violations of the last century,” Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said in a statement released Tuesday. 

“It would be naive to think that this negotiated exchange would signal a change in treatment for the Cuban people,” she added. 

The Biden administration said on Tuesday it would remove Cuba from the SST list, a designation the country was put back on during the final days of Trump's first term in office. Biden administration’s officials said they were in touch with the incoming Republican administration about the change. 

Cuba’s diplomats have vigorously pursued nixing the island nation from the list during Biden’s term in the Oval Office. After the announcement, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the development, but highlighted that the economic “blockade” of the island still “remains in force.”

Fried condemned the administration’s decision and urged officials to reverse course. 

“Generations of Cuban-Americans in Florida have told stories about the cruelty of the Castro regime — currently led by Raul’s hand-picked successor — and the dangers they faced in escaping to freedom in America,” Fried said. 

“We condemn in the strongest terms Cuba’s removal from this list, as well as any possible lifting of economic sanctions, and call on the Biden Administration to reverse course immediately,” she added. 

The administration has received criticism from the other side of the aisle, with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) saying the decision is “unacceptable on its merits." He vowed to work with President-elect Trump’s team and fellow senators to “immediately reverse” it.