Cuba Releases 553 Prisoners Following Vatican-Brokered Deal Despite US Sanctions

Cuba's Supreme People's Court announced the release of 553 prisoners following a Vatican-brokered deal. The release occurred despite the reversal of a previous agreement by former U.S. President Donald Trump to ease sanctions on the country. The initial agreement was part of negotiations with the Catholic Church during Joe Biden's administration, which involved removing Cuba from a U.S. terrorism blacklist in exchange for the prisoner release. While the Biden administration initially stated that Cuba would release "political prisoners," Cuba specified that it would release "553 people sanctioned for diverse crimes." Watchdog groups reported that approximately 200 prisoners connected to the 2021 protests had been released as of last week. Cuban authorities maintain that those jailed committed crimes ranging from arson to vandalism and sedition. The Cuban state-run media report did not specify how many of the 553 prisoners released under the Vatican-brokered deal had been detained in relation to the 2021 protests.