A Reprieve

Cuba will release hundreds of political prisoners, the government announced this week, after the US said it would remove the Caribbean nation from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, the Associated Press reported.

On Tuesday, Cuban officials said they will “gradually” release 553 prisoners, most of whom were detained after their participation in anti-government protests.

The US and human rights organizations have condemned those arrests as violations of human rights.

In return, Cuba will be removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, which includes Iran, Syria, and North Korea.

The country was first added to the list in 1982 because it supported revolutionary movements and armed groups in Latin America, before being removed in 2015 by President Obama. It was added again to the list in 2021 by then-President Donald Trump.

The release and delisting are part of a Vatican-brokered agreement between the US and Cuba, the BBC wrote.

While not directly linking the release of prisoners with the US decision, Cuba’s foreign ministry said they were pleased to be removed from the list because now, foreign businesses can work with Cuba freely.

Even so, Cuban officials described it as “limited” in scope as the country remains under US sanctions, which has contributed to a severe economic crisis resulting in shortages of fuel, food, medicine, and electricity, France 24 added.

Observers described the moves as a sign of rapprochement between Cuba and the US that could help alleviate the island’s dire economic conditions. Still, others suggested that the president-elect, Donald Trump, will reverse the move after he takes office next week.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has said his country was prepared for “more difficult circumstances” after Trump’s inauguration.