Cuban authorities have begun to free prisoners after announcing they would pardon 2,010 inmates, the second release in less than a month as the country faces heightened US pressure.
More than 20 inmates emerged from La Lima penitentiary in east Havana on Friday, holding their release papers, crying and hugging relatives who had been waiting for them all morning.
“Thank you for this opportunity that they gave us,” said Albis Gainza, 46, who had served half of a six-year sentence for robbery.
He said he could not sleep after learning he would be released.
“This needs to keep going … [and] more are released,” Gainza told AFP.
The Cuban government announced late on Thursday plans to pardon 2,010 prisoners as a “humanitarian” gesture to mark Holy Week.
The announcement came days after Donald Trump eased a de facto oil blockade of Cuba by allowing a Russian tanker to deliver crude oil to the nation.
The Trump administration has called for change in communist-run Cuba’s system of government, and the US president has mused about “taking” the island.
Releasing political prisoners has long been a core US demand in Cuba, and the two sides have held talks recently, with Havana promising last month to release dozens of individuals.
People leave La Lima prison in Havana on 3 April 2026. Photograph: Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images
Michael Bustamante, the chair of Cuban studies at the University of Miami, said: “It seems not far-fetched to think that this is a sign that some of the conversation between both governments is advancing. Perhaps slowly, but advancing.
“To where? Unclear,” he added. “I think we will also have to see who is included in these releases to have a sense of their potential political significance.”
The Cuban government has not said who will be pardoned, what crimes they committed or when they will be set free. It said the choice was based on the nature of their crimes, good behaviour in prison, health reasons and time served.
It added that the “humanitarian and sovereign gesture” would include young people, women and prisoners over 60 years old who are scheduled for early release within the next six months to a year.
Cuba said on 12 March that it would free 51 prisoners as a sign of “good will” toward the Vatican, which has often acted as a mediator between Washington and Havana.
A day later, President Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed that talks had taken place between US and Cuban officials.
Havana said on Thursday that its latest move would be the fifth time since 2011 that it had pardoned prisoners, amounting to more than 11,000 people.
It said its decision was “taking place within the context of the religious observances of Holy Week – a customary practice within our criminal justice system and a reflection of the humanitarian legacy of the revolution.”
It added that foreigners were among those being pardoned, as well as Cuban citizens living abroad and sentenced in absentia.
The government said the individuals being released from prison would not include people who committed murder, sexual assault, drug-related crimes, theft, illegal slaughter of livestock or crimes against authority.
Also on Thursday, Russia announced it would send a second oil tanker to Cuba, which Bustamante highlighted as potentially significant.
“One is tempted to draw the conclusion or wonder if the Trump administration’s decision to let in a Russian ship … and maybe another one, may or may not be related here,” he said.
Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, is a Cuban-American and a vociferous critic of Havana’s government. He told Fox News on Tuesday that Cuba needed economic and political reforms.
“You cannot fix their economy if you don’t change their system of government,” Rubio said. “But they’re in a lot of trouble, there’s no doubt about it, and we’ll have more news on that fairly soon.”
