In the United States, an outgoing president is called a “lame duck” or “lame duck” in the period from the election of his successor to his effective inauguration. possession.
The adjective “lame” refers to the supposed little capacity of the outgoing president to “move” politically in that period. But, as on so many other occasions, the government of Donald Trump has broken with the established.
In recent weeks and days, the Executive has made important decisions on foreign policy that may complicate the plans of Joe Biden, who takes office as the 46 th US president on Wednesday 22 January.
These are some examples.
1. Cuba
The past 11 of January, just over a week after the transfer of power , the Trump administration made an announcement with important repercussions for Latin America: it returned Cuba to the list of countries sponsoring terrorism.
“With this measure we again hold the government of Cuba responsible and send a clear message: the Castro regime must end its support for international terrorism and with the subversion of US justice, “said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a statement.
To argue that decision, Pompeo pointed out Cuba’s refusal to extradite members of the Liberation Army Nacional (ELN) of Colombia after a bomb attack in January 2019 in a police academy in Bogotá where they died 22 people.
In addition, he spoke of Cuba’s alliance with Venezuela, where the United States promotes a change of government .
- What impact has the US included it again in the list of countries sponsoring terrorism
In 2015, former President Barack Obama had removed Cuba from that same list , in which it had been since 1982 , taking a fundamental step in the “thaw” that a year later would result in the resumption of diplomatic relations between both countries, although with Trump the US position hardened again.
Biden has expressed his willingness to improve relations It is with the island, restoring some level of the commitment started with Obama – which includes allowing Cuban-Americans to visit their families and send money – but that step may be slowed down by the latest measures.
To reverse Cuba’s inclusion on the list, for example, the State Department must carry out a formal review that can last months , analysts warn.
“Turning this designation around takes time,” John Kavulich, president of the United States-Cuba Economic and Trade Council, told BBC World, after the latest action was known.
Kavulich also assured that for the Biden government the connection that Trump made between Cuba and Venezuela may be a problem.
“La administració n Trump successfully connected Cuba with Venezuela, and the incoming Biden administration has done so as well. There may even be pressure from congressmen to add Venezuela to the list instead of to remove Cuba, “he said.
2. China
Several decisions on China made by the outgoing Trump administration once again strained the relationship between the two powers.
The first of them occurred on January 9, when Pompeo announced the lifting of restrictions on contacts between American and Taiwanese diplomats , breaking with a policy maintained for decades by the White House.
China considers democratic Taiwan an indisputable part of its territory and habitually describes which it considers a “rebel island” as the most delicate matter in its ties with the US
Although the US, like most of countries in the world, does not maintain formal relations with Taiwan, the Trump government has increased its actions in support of the island, through the sale of arms or legislation to help Taipei manage the pressure from Beijing.
- The latent conflict that awaits the next US president
After four years of profound deterioration in relations between the two world powers, this latest measure was seen as an attempt by the Republican leader to set a hard line against China before the Biden’s inauguration.
“The Biden administration will be legitimately unhappy that a political decision like this is made in the last days of Trump, “said Bonnie Glaser, one of the leading experts on the Sino-American relationship in the US, in statements to Reuters.
Glaser, from the Center for Strategic and International Studies of Washington, explained that some examples of the restrictions that Pompeo lifted included that Taiwanese officials could not enter in the State Department and, therefore, had than to meet in hotels.
An official from Biden’s transition team noted that once the president-elect assumes power, he will continue to support “the peaceful resolution of issues between the two shores of the Strait in consequence of the wishes and interest of the Taiwanese society. ”
The decision on Taiwan was compounded by another blow from the US to China on the last day of the presidency of Trump: The declaration of Beijing’s actions against the Xinjiang Uyghurs as “ genocide ” and “crimes against Humanity”, which will further sour relations.
3. Iran
The Trump administration also redoubled its offensive against Iran in this last stretch of his presidency.
The 16 in January, Pompeo accused the Persian country of being “the new headquarters” of Al Qaeda and maintaining close ties to the terrorist group.
Pompeo did not provide evidence of his accusations. Tehran considered them “warmongering lies.”
- 5 geopolitical milestones that made history in 2020
Pompeo’s statements shortly before his departure were seen as an attempt to reinforce the pressure on Tehran before the arrival of Biden, who is expected to try to return to the nuclear agreement signed in 2015 between Iran and six great powers, from which Trump withdrew the US in 2018.
Added to this a few days ago was the announcement by the State Department that it will declare the Houthi rebels in Yemen as a terrorist organization, an action that “has been waiting for months” and that is feared will worsen the humanitarian crisis in the country , explained the BBC’s chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet.
US allies in the Gulf support this measure, designed to send a harsh message to Iran “, the journalist deepened.
The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, have been fighting since 2015 against a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen in a war that has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Some, said the journalist, believe that the measure can provide a “valuable bargaining chip” to the Biden government for concessions, “but Western diplomats involved in the protracted efforts to start a political process to end the destructive war are convinced this will make it even more difficult.”
- Why is there a war in Yemen and what role played by international powers
Ending the war in Yemen, an idea that Obama initially supported will be a priority for Biden’s team, Doucet noted; So this last minute decision, which will take effect one day before the handover, may disrupt the plans of the new occupant of the White House.
Now you can receive notifications from BBC Mundo. Download the new version of our app and activate them so as not to miss our best content.