The BVI Beacon COMMENTARY â US urged to drop Cuba sanctions In the dying days of the Donald Trump presidency in the United States, the State Department designated Cuba a âstate sponsor of terrorism.â Regrettably, the measure will slow efforts by … In the dying days of the Donald Trump presidency in the United States, the State Department designated Cuba a âstate sponsor of terrorism.â Regrettably, the measure will slow efforts by the new Joe Biden administration to take a calibrated approach to gradually improving US-Cuba relations. The decision to make the designation was made by outgoing US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with little external consultation and after months of legal review. By any measure, the move is hard to justify, and it appears to be a throw of the political dice by someone who believes himself to be in the running to be the next Republican presidential candidate.