Cuba releasing 2,010 prisoners as the US pressures the island’s government : NPR
People wait their turn to enter a bank in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
Ramón Espinosa/AP
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Ramón Espinosa/AP
HAVANA — The Cuban government announced Thursday it would release 2,010 prisoners, a move that comes as the Trump administration puts extreme pressure on the island’s government with a stifling oil blockade.
The press release indicates that the pardons constitute a “humanitarian gesture” in connection with Holy Week and does not mention the increasing pressures exerted on the United States.
The government said the prisoners involved are foreigners and Cubans, including women, the elderly and young people. It was not specified when they were released or under what conditions, nor did it mention the crimes they were accused of committing.
Authorities also did not provide details on whether among those pardoned were protesters convicted and sentenced for terrorism, contempt or disturbing public order.
The Cuban government denies holding political prisoners, but the activist group Prisoners Defended recorded 1,214 people imprisoned for political reasons in Cuba in February.
Cuban authorities said the decision “was based on a careful analysis of the characteristics of the crimes committed by those sanctioned, their good behavior in prison, the fact that they have served a significant part of their sentence and their state of health,” according to a statement published in state media.
The release comes as the Trump administration has put extreme pressure on the Cuban government, imposing a months-long oil blockade that fueled power outages and caused suffering for many civilians.
Cuba periodically releases prisoners at key moments.
In January last year, the Cuban government released 553 prisoners as part of negotiations with the Vatican, a day after the Biden administration announced plans to lift the U.S. designation of the island nation as a state sponsor of terrorism.
Last month, Cuba released 51 people from the island’s prisons, an unexpected move that officials say stemmed from a spirit of goodwill and close relations with the Vatican.
The government said Thursday’s announcement was the fifth prisoner release since 2011 and resulted in the release of more than 11,000 people.
The announcement comes just months after the United States removed former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and pressured that country’s government to make sweeping changes, including freeing prisoners held for political reasons and passing an amnesty law.
