Releasing political prisoners has long been a core demand of the US, which is implementing a strict oil blockade on Cuba.By AFP and ReutersPublished On 3 Apr 20263 Apr 2026Cuba’s government says it will pardon 2,010 prisoners as a “humanitarian” gesture.Their release during Easter’s Holy Week follows pledges made in March to release dozens of inmates as the United States increases pressure on Cuba’s leadership.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listThursday’s announcement, reported by state media, is the second prisoner amnesty this year during talks with the Trump administration.The decision “stemmed from a careful analysis of the crimes committed by those convicted, their good conduct in prison, the fact that they had served a significant portion of their sentence and their state of health,” Cuba’s state-run Granma newspaper said.The Cuban government has consistently rejected any suggestion that it makes decisions under US pressure. But the timing of this announcement coincides with the most intense pressure campaign applied by Washington in decades.It comes the day after Cuba’s top diplomat in Washington publicly invited the US government to help overhaul its crippled economy as part of ongoing negotiations that have yet to yield results.The Trump administration has called for a change of government in communist-run Cuba with the US president musing about “taking” the island.But the two sides have held talks recently.“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,” Michael Bustamante, chair of Cuban studies at the University of Miami, told the AFP news agency. Advertisement “I think we will also have to see who is included in these releases to have a sense of their potential political significance,” he said.Releasing political prisoners has long been a core U …
