Cuba announces pardon of 2,010 prisoners amid US pressure
Cuba's government said it released over 2,000 inmates as part of a "humanitarian gesture" during Holy Week, as the Trump administration intensifies pressure on the island nation.
10:39 AM
Cuba's government announced Thursday that it has pardoned and released 2,010 prisoners, describing the action as a "humanitarian and sovereign gesture" made during Holy Week religious celebrations.
The Cuban Embassy in the United States said those released include younger people, women, individuals over the age of 60, Cuban citizens living abroad, and foreign nationals. According to the embassy, prisoners convicted of various violent crimes were not eligible for the pardons.
The announcement marks the second mass prisoner release by Cuba this year. In March, the government released a smaller group of 51 detainees. Cuba's state-run Granma newspaper said the decision to pardon the 2,010 inmates "stemmed from a careful analysis of the crimes committed by those convicted, their good conduct in prison, the fact that they had served a significant portion of their sentence and their state of health."
The releases come as Cuba faces sustained pressure from the Trump administration, which has implemented an oil blockade that has caused severe fuel shortages and widespread blackouts across the island. The Trump administration has called for changes to Cuba's system of government, and President Trump has publicly discussed the possibility of "taking" the island.
It remains unclear whether any political prisoners were included in the latest release. The nonprofit Prisoners Defenders has counted 1,211 political prisoners in Cuba, while Human Rights Watch reports that Cuba holds hundreds of political prisoners, with government critics subject to harassment and criminal prosecution.
The timing of the announcement came days after Trump eased the de facto oil blockade by allowing a Russian tanker to deliver crude oil to Cuba. The Cuban government has consistently rejected suggestions that its decisions are made under external pressure, framing the releases instead as part of customary practices during Holy Week.
Michael Bustamante, chair of Cuban studies at the University of Miami, said the prisoner releases suggest that conversations between the two governments may be advancing, though he noted uncertainty about the direction and scope of such discussions.