The Cuban government has begun releasing 2,010 prisoners in its largest amnesty in a decade, a move it describes as a "sovereign and humanitarian gest
The Cuban government has begun releasing 2,010 prisoners in its largest amnesty in a decade, a move it describes as a “sovereign and humanitarian gesture”.
While officially framed as a tribute to Holy Week, the release coincides with intense economic and political pressure from the United States under the Trump administration.
The pardoned group reportedly includes foreign nationals, women, young people, and inmates over the age of 60 who have shown “good conduct” and served a significant portion of their sentences.
This mass pardon follows months of a “suffocating oil blockade” implemented by the U.S., which has triggered severe fuel shortages and recurring nationwide blackouts across the island.
Recently, President Trump allowed a Russian-flagged tanker to deliver crude oil to Cuba as a reprieve, though the White House clarified this was not a formal policy change.
Experts suggest the prisoner release may be a tactical move by Havana to signal goodwill or de-escalate tensions as the island’s economy teeters on the brink of collapse.
Human rights organisations are closely monitoring the process, as it remains unclear how many of those freed are political prisoners.
Groups like Human Rights Watch and the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights have called for the release of all individuals jailed for political dissent, including those arrested during previous anti-government protests.
Although Cuba denies holding political prisoners—often charging activists with crimes like “public disorder”—this latest release marks the fifth major amnesty since 2011, totalling more than 11,000 freed individuals in that period.
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