Havana began the release of several prisoners on Wednesday as the country engaged in discussions with the Vatican. This decision came just a day after the Biden administration announced its plan to remove Cuba from its list of nations designated as state sponsors of terrorism.
Civil rights organizations in Cuba reported that over a dozen individuals, many of whom were detained during the unprecedented protests of 2021, were set free. Among those released was 24-year-old tattoo artist Reyna Yacnara Barreto Batista, who had been sentenced to four years in prison for charges including public disorder and attacks. Upon her release from a prison in the Camagüey province, she informed sources that eight other men were also liberated at that time.
On Tuesday, officials from the U.S. government communicated with Congress regarding their intent to lift Cuba’s designation, relating it to a negotiation facilitated by the Vatican. U.S. officials indicated that several prisoners would be released prior to the conclusion of Biden’s term on January 20.
Shortly afterward, Cuba’s foreign ministry announced a plan to gradually release 553 convicts while exploring legal and humanitarian options. Although the Cuban government did not directly tie the releases to the U.S. decision, they mentioned that their actions were motivated by “the spirit of the Ordinary Jubilee of the year 2025 declared by His Holiness,” linking it to the Vatican’s ancient tradition of Jubilee years that occur every 25 years, during which the Catholic community engages in pilgrimages to Rome.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez refrained from addressing the releases on Wednesday, maintaining his previous position of separating the two issues while acknowledging the removal of Cuba from the terrorism list. He stated, “You can reverse a country’s status on that list, but the tremendous damage to U.S. foreign policy cannot be undone.” He criticized the designation as being primarily a political tool rather than an effective measure against terrorism.
The Cuban Observatory of Human Rights reported that by 4 p.m. EST, 18 prisoners had been released, including Barreto Batista. In her phone conversation, she recounted the moment she was informed of her release, sharing that officials had awakened her in the early hours. “They told me to gather all my things, that I was free,” she recalled.
Barreto Batista mentioned that she and the men were warned that the arrangement was not a complete pardon and that they would need to maintain good behavior to avoid being sent back to prison. “I am at home with my mother,” she said, adding that the entire family was celebrating the news of her freedom.
The backdrop to this development includes the dramatic protests in Cuba in July 2021, when many citizens expressed their dissatisfaction with severe power outages and shortages amidst a dire economic situation. The government’s response, which involved a crackdown on demonstrators through arrests and detentions, drew significant international scrutiny, while Cuban officials attributed the turmoil to U.S. sanctions and negative media representation.
As of November, another Cuban NGO, Justice 11J, reported that 554 individuals remained in custody related to those protests. The Biden administration’s plan to rescind the terrorism designation for Cuba may face an alteration soon, especially with President-elect Donald Trump preparing to take office and with Secretary of State-designate Marco Rubio, who has been a consistent advocate for imposing sanctions on the island nation, ready to assume his role. Rubio’s personal history as the child of Cuban exiles further fuels his stance on the issue.
