Cuba to release more than 2,000 prisoners, as pressure from US mounts

Cuba will free 2,010 prisoners as part of a "humanitarian and sovereign gesture," it announced on Thursday, as it faces continued political pressure from the US.

Those freed will include foreign nationals, young people, women and those aged over 60, a statement from the Cuban embassy in the US said.

It said the release was taking place "in the context of the religious celebrations of Holy Week, which is a customary practice in our criminal justice system".

Since returning to the White House, US President Donald Trump has made clear his desire to change Cuba's leadership and has implemented an oil blockade, causing severe fuel shortages and widespread blackouts across the country.

Last week, a Russian-owned tanker carrying an estimated 730,000 barrels of crude oil became the first crude oil shipment to dock in one of Cuba's ports since early January.

Cuba holds hundreds of political prisoners behind bars, according to Human Rights Watch, with government critics subject to harassment and criminal prosecution.

Eligibility for the release was based on "a careful analysis" of offences, along with "their good conduct while in prison, the fact that they had served a significant portion of their sentences, and their state of health," the embassy statement added.

It is the second time this year that Cuba has announced a prisoner release. In March, 51 prisoners were set free after talks with the Vatican. In 2025, Cuba released 553 people in a deal brokered by the Vatican and the US.