Latin America

JANUARY 15, 2025 1:28 AM ET
By
The Associated Press

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The determination by the outgoing one-term Democrat is likely to be reversed as early as next week after Trump, the Republican who is now president-elect, takes office and Secretary of State-designate Marco Rubio assumes the position of America's top diplomat.

Rubio, whose family left Cuba in the 1950s before the communist revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power, has long been a proponent of sanctions on the communist island. Rubio will appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday for his confirmation hearing and is expected to address his Cuban roots in his testimony.

Trump has also appointed Mauricio Claver-Carone, a former White House National Security Council aide and strong supporter of sanctions against Cuba, to be his special envoy to Latin America.

The U.S. officials said the Trump transition team had been informed of the action before it was announced by the Biden White House.

Rep. Mike Waltz, Trump's pick to serve as national security adviser, previewed a snap back to the previous U.S. policy, but signaled approval for the arrangement. "Look. anything that they're doing right now we can do back, and no one should be under any illusion in terms of a change in Cuba policy," Waltz told Fox News on Tuesday. "We don't like it, but again, if people are going free, then that's what it is for now."

More:
https://www.npr.org/2025/01/15/nx-s1-5260690/biden-cuba-terror-designation-pope