The Cuban government appears to have halted or slowed the release of political prisoners, according to a report from the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights (OCDH) on Tuesday. The organization voiced its "deep concern" after noting that, by 1:00 PM local time on Tuesday, there had been no new prisoner releases, despite expectations set by the regime's announcement of the measure as an agreement between the Vatican and Havana, not as a negotiation with the United States.
This slowdown in prisoner releases coincides with the decision by then-newly elected President Donald Trump to return the island to the list of state sponsors of terrorism. The OCDH reminded that, in its announcement of the prisoner release initiative, the Cuban government cited the "spirit of the Catholic Church's Jubilee Year" as a motivating factor.
The NGO pointed out that despite the official proclamations, the process has been marked by a lack of transparency and no clear commitment to immediately free all political prisoners. "The Cuban regime has justified this release as a 'unilateral and sovereign' decision," stated the OCDH, adding that, in their view, "no policy adopted by the United States or other countries should be the reason for delaying or canceling this process."
The organization also criticized the Cuban government for persisting in its old strategy of using prisoners as "bargaining chips," while simultaneously trying to present an image of not bowing to external pressures and controlling the pace of releases entirely. According to the OCDH, these tactics are "contrary to the jubilee spirit" and do not align with the current state of international relations.
The Cuban Observatory for Human Rights has maintained constant contact with the families and collaborators of the political prisoners, who live in "uncertainty and despair" regarding the fate of their loved ones. "As of 1:00 PM today, we have not learned of any new releases," the NGO explained.
As of Monday evening, the Cuban regime had released 166 political prisoners, according to an OCDH record, which has been confirmed by the families of those freed or the released individuals themselves.
Impact of Cuba's Terrorism Sponsor Status on Political Prisoners
Why has the Cuban regime slowed down the release of political prisoners?
The slowdown in prisoner releases coincides with the decision by President Donald Trump to return Cuba to the list of state sponsors of terrorism, which seems to have affected the process.
What justification has the Cuban regime offered for the prisoner releases?
The Cuban regime has claimed that the prisoner releases are a 'unilateral and sovereign' decision, purportedly motivated by the spirit of the Catholic Church's Jubilee Year.
How many political prisoners has the Cuban regime released so far?
As of Monday evening, the Cuban regime had released 166 political prisoners, according to records from the OCDH.