President Joe Biden has announced that the US will remove Cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, marking one of his last official acts as president. In exchange, Cuba agreed to release 553 prisoners. The agreement, which was facilitated by the Catholic Church, comes just days before Donald Trump is set to be sworn in as president.

Trump added Cuba to the US list of state sponsors of terrorism during his first term as president, and it's unclear if he'll undo Biden's decision once he regains control. "Anything they [the Biden Administration] are doing right now we can do back, and no one should be under any illusion in terms of a change in Cuba policy," stated Mike Waltz, Trump's pick for national security advisor, on Fox News.

According to a Biden administration official, Cuba would "gradually" release 553 inmates "who have been detained unjustly" in exchange for its removal. The agreement, according to Cuba's foreign ministry, "puts an end to specific coercive measures" that harmed the nation's economy.

Relatives of those detained after anti-government demonstrations in 2021 expressed their optimism that their loved ones would be among those released, however, Havana did not disclose any information about it. "All the mothers of prisoners want our children to be free and out of that suffering, out of that hell that is the prisons in Cuba," stated Liset Fonseca, whose 41-year-old son was given a 10-year prison sentence for participating in the 2021 protests. "They should never have been in prison," she told AFP news agency.

Cuba is currently listed by the US as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, along with North Korea, Syria and Iran. The US considers them to have "repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism" in this sense. Cuba was added back to the list after being removed in 2015 by President Barack Obama. President Trump pointed to Cuba's support for Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro as the reason for the decision.

At that time, Cuba called the move "cynical," "hypocritical," and an act of "political opportunism." In addition to leading to the release of prisoners, this decision is also important because it could be a step toward normalising relations between Cuba and the US. This could open the door for discussions on other controversial issues and might help improve Cuba's struggling economy, as many banks and foreign investors have faced challenges operating there legally.

According to a White House statement, Biden will inform Congress of his ideas, which include lifting financial restrictions on certain Cubans imposed by Trump. In Cuba, he will also prevent people from claiming property that has been seized, according to the statement.