The Cuban government announced it had pardoned 2,010 prisoners of war as a “humanitarian” measure.
The releases during Easter Holy Week follow a promise in March to release the prisoners as the United States ramps up pressure on Cuba’s leadership.
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Thursday’s announcement, first reported by state media, marks the second prisoner release this year following talks with U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration. It’s also one of the largest releases of its kind in nearly a decade.
Cuba’s state-run Granma newspaper said the decision “followed a careful analysis of the crimes committed by those convicted, their good behavior in prison, the fact that they have served a significant part of their sentences, and their health status.”
But the Trump administration has said it will closely scrutinize the releases for evidence that political prisoners were among those released.
“It is unclear how many political prisoners, if any, will be released,” a spokesman for President Trump told Reuters. “We continue to call for the immediate release of the hundreds of other brave Cuban patriots who remain unjustly detained.”
The Cuban government has consistently rejected any suggestion that it would make decisions under U.S. pressure. He also denies holding political prisoners.
But the timing of Friday’s announcement coincided with the most intense pressure campaign applied by the U.S. government in decades.
Since January, the Trump administration has largely blocked oil imports to Cuba, first cutting off trade with Venezuela and then threatening to impose tariffs on trading partners.
As a result, an energy crisis has occurred, with flights grounded, public transport halted, and essential services suspended, including hospital treatment. There have been two island-wide power outages in the last month alone.
The Trump administration has called for regime change in communist Cuba, and the US president has openly considered “taking over” the island.
But the two countries have recently held talks in an apparent effort to stem the growing humanitarian crisis on the island. Experts said the scale of Friday’s prisoner releases could be a positive sign.
“It doesn’t seem far-fetched to think that this is a sign that some of the dialogue between the two governments is moving forward. Maybe it’s slowly, but it’s moving forward. How far along is it? We don’t know,” Michael Bustamante, director of Cuban studies at the University of Miami, told AFP.
“I think we also need to see who is included in these releases to know the potential political significance,” he said.
“Long live freedom”
The release of political prisoners was a central US demand in Cuba.
The Cuban government did not identify the pardoned people or say what crimes they had committed.
It showed those being released include young people, women and prisoners over 60 who are scheduled for early release within the next six months to a year.
Prisoners were seen leaving La Lima prison on the outskirts of Havana on Friday, some being greeted by family and friends. Some held slips of paper stating that they had received “amnesty” from the government.
Abel Tamayo, who was imprisoned in 2024 on bribery charges, was among those released. He told Reuters the release of the prisoners was an encouraging gesture from the Cuban government.
“This shows that they are open to everything. They are open to dialogue, they are open to national unity,” Tamayo told Reuters. “There are many people who are incarcerated who are likely bad people, but there are also many good people.”
Meanwhile, Katia Arias was among other family members waiting to receive loved ones. Her 20-year-old son, Emilio Alejandro Leyva, was in jail for robbery.
“It’s been very difficult, but God has given me so much joy today,” the 43-year-old Arias told The Associated Press, crying as she hugged her son.
“Today I feel very happy. This must be felt by every mother who releases her children today.”
One released prisoner could be heard shouting “Long live freedom” as he hugged his sister.
Still, human rights groups and opposition groups said the timing and lack of details of the release was strategic on the part of the Cuban government.
“The government is not presenting this as the release of political prisoners, but as a humanitarian action against the prisoners,” said Manuel Cuesta Morua, leader of Cuba’s main opposition party, the Cuban Democratic Transition Council.
“In doing so, it confuses things to avoid giving the impression that it condones political imprisonment in Cuba.”
The rights group Prisoners Advocacy Group estimates that as of February there were 1,214 political prisoners in Cuba. The island has long been accused of repressing dissent.
“Goodwill”
Friday’s release is the second in less than a month.
On March 12, the government also announced the release of 51 prisoners as a gesture of “goodwill” toward the Vatican, which has often acted as an intermediary between Washington and Havana.
The next day, President Miguel Diaz-Canel authorized talks between U.S. and Cuban officials.
Cuba’s president’s office announced Thursday that this week’s releases mark the fifth amnesty of prisoners since 2011, bringing the total number of prisoners released to more than 11,000.
The statement said the decision “was taken during the religious observances of Holy Week, is common practice in our criminal justice system, and reflects the humanitarian legacy of the revolution.”
According to the Cuban government, the amnesty also includes foreigners and Cuban citizens living abroad. Those released do not include those convicted of murder, sexual assault, drug-related crimes, theft, illegal slaughter of livestock, or crimes against authority.
The pardon came after Russia announced Thursday it would send a second oil tanker to Cuba. This week, President Trump eased the de facto oil blockade on the island, allowing the first shipments from Russia to enter the country.
“Some may draw conclusions and wonder whether the Trump administration’s decision to allow a Russian ship into the country, and maybe another ship, is relevant here or not,” Bustamante said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Cuban-American and vocal critic of the Havana government, told Fox News on Tuesday that Cuba needs economic and political reform.
“We can’t rebuild our economy unless we change our system of government,” Rubio said. “But they are facing many challenges, there is no doubt about that. We will have more news on that soon.”
