Cuba to Release Political Prisoners Under Agreement with Biden Administration

The Cuban government has begun releasing several of its political prisoners after President Joe Biden removed Havana from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. The agreement between Havana and Washington is considered one of Biden's final actions as the leader of the United States. This agreement has brought joy to the families of Cubans who have been imprisoned since 2021 for participating in protests against frequent power outages, food shortages, and rising prices. According to Agence France-Presse, the first group, which includes 20 prisoners, was released on Wednesday, January 26. The removal of Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism paves the way for increased U.S. investment in this Caribbean nation, which has been under U.S. trade sanctions for over six decades. However, Marco Rubio, Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of State, has warned that he may reverse this decision. Rubio, the son of a Cuban immigrant family opposed to Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution, stated that the future Trump administration would not be obligated to follow Biden's policies. During his Senate confirmation hearing, he referred to Cuba as a 'third-world country' controlled by 'corrupt and ineffective' Marxists and claimed that Cuba is 'collapsing.' Rubio added, 'There is no doubt that they meet all the criteria to be on the list of state sponsors of terrorism.' Bruno Rodriguez, Cuba's Foreign Minister, acknowledged that the future U.S. administration might reverse Biden's decision but argued that Washington's repeated actions of adding and removing Cuba from the list have rendered its meaning meaningless and turned it into a 'trite tool for political pressure.' Under an agreement mediated by the Vatican, Cuba has promised to release 553 prisoners. According to a senior U.S. official, these prisoners include 'political prisoners' and those who have been 'unjustly detained.'