Cuba has announced the release of 553 prisoners after being removed from the United States’ list of state sponsors of terrorism.
The decision was confirmed on Tuesday, accompanied by a letter from Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel to Pope Francis. In the letter, Díaz-Canel outlined the plan to free individuals convicted of various crimes under Cuban law.
According to the Cuban Foreign Ministry, the release is part of negotiations with the Catholic Church. Similar gestures have occurred in the past, often following Vatican-mediated talks.
President Díaz-Canel expressed gratitude on X, formerly Twitter, for the US decision to lift the controversial designation. He emphasized that the label was unjust and acknowledged all those who helped facilitate the move.
The Biden administration’s announcement also includes the easing of certain economic restrictions on Cuba. It reverses a 2017 policy imposed by former President Donald Trump, which had tightened sanctions on the island nation.
This is not the first mass release of prisoners by Cuba tied to diplomatic shifts. In 1998, Fidel Castro freed 200 prisoners during Pope John Paul II’s visit. Similar releases occurred in 2003, 2011, and 2015 under Vatican influence.
Cuba has stressed that the latest releases will be conducted after a “careful analysis” of individual cases. However, no specific details about the prisoners or the timeline for their release were provided.