Cuba begins prisoner release after mass pardon

Cuban authorities started releasing prisoners on Friday following a government pardon of 2,010 inmates, the second such move in under a month. More than 20 people walked free from La Lima penitentiary in eastern Havana, some crying and embracing relatives who had waited for hours. Albis Gainza, 46, who had served half of a six-year sentence for robbery, said he could not sleep after learning of his release. "Thank you for this opportunity that they gave us," Gainza said, adding, "This needs to keep going … (and) more are released." The pardon, announced Thursday, was described by the government as a "humanitarian and sovereign gesture" for Holy Week. It excluded those convicted of murder, sex assault, drug crimes, theft, illegal livestock slaughter and "crimes against authority." The government said releases would consider good behavior, health, age and time served. Among those freed are young people, women and inmates over 60 who were due for early release within a year. On March 12, Cuba released 51 prisoners in what it called a goodwill gesture toward the Vatican. Rights group Justicia11J, which tracks detentions from the 2021 anti-government protests, said Cuba still holds 775 political prisoners. The group called the pardon "immediate relief" but warned it did not signal a shift in state repression. The US State Department acknowledged the release but said it was unclear if any political prisoners were included. "We continue to call for the immediate release of the hundreds of other brave Cuban patriots who remain unjustly detained," a spokesperson said. Historian Andres Pertierra of the University of Wisconsin said the timing suggests the pardon is tied to US-Cuba talks despite official denials. The move follows President Donald Trump allowing a Russian tanker to deliver oil to Cuba, easing a de facto blockade.