Cuba has started freeing prisoners after the US lifted its terror designation, signaling a potential thaw in relations.
Havana: So, Cuba kicked off the release of some prisoners on Wednesday. This came right after the US announced it would lift Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. Pretty big news, right?
Reports say over a dozen folks were let go, many of whom were arrested during those big protests back in 2021. One of the people freed was a tattoo artist named Reyna Yacnara Barreto Batista. She was only 24 and had been sentenced to four years for her role in the protests.
Reyna got out from a prison in Camagüey and mentioned that she wasn’t alone; eight other men were released with her. The US government had just told Congress about this change, and it seems the Vatican played a role in making it happen.
They’re planning to release a total of 553 convicts, but Cuba says this isn’t directly tied to the US decision. Instead, they’re framing it as part of a religious tradition called the Jubilee, which happens every 25 years.
Interestingly, Cuba’s Foreign Minister didn’t connect the dots between the prisoner release and the US decision. He did, however, talk about how lifting the terror designation doesn’t fix the damage done to US foreign policy.
By the afternoon, reports indicated that 18 people had been released, including Reyna. She shared that she was woken up in the middle of the night and told she was free. But there’s a catch: it’s not a full pardon, and they have to behave or risk going back to prison.
Reyna was thrilled to be home with her family, celebrating her freedom. The protests in July 2021 were sparked by serious issues like power outages and shortages, leading to a heavy crackdown from the government.
As for the future, Biden’s plan to lift the designation might not last long. With Trump set to take office soon, it’s likely that the old policies will come back into play.
