The move follows March pledges to release dozens of inmates as the United States ramps up pressure on the island’s leadership.
Cuba’s government announced it will pardon 2,010 prisoners as a “humanitarian” measure during Easter’s Holy Week.
The move follows March pledges to release dozens of inmates as the United States ramps up pressure on the island’s leadership.
Reported by state media, Thursday’s announcement marks the second prisoner amnesty this year amid ongoing talks with the Trump administration.
According to Cuba’s state-run Granma newspaper, the decision was based on “a careful analysis of the crimes committed, good conduct in prison, the portion of sentence served, and the prisoners’ health.”
While Havana has consistently denied acting under U.S. pressure, the timing coincides with Washington’s most intense campaign against the Cuban government in decades.
The announcement comes a day after Cuba’s top diplomat in Washington invited the U.S. to assist in overhauling the country’s struggling economy, part of ongoing but so far inconclusive negotiations.
The Trump administration has called for a change of government in communist-run Cuba, with President Trump suggesting the possibility of “taking” the island. Despite this, talks between the two governments have continued.
“It seems plausible that this indicates some progress in discussions between the governments perhaps slowly, but still advancing.
To where? That’s unclear,” said Michael Bustamante, chair of Cuban Studies at the University of Miami. He added that the political significance of the pardons will depend on who is included.
Releasing political prisoners has long been a key U.S. demand. The Cuban government has not disclosed the identities of those pardoned, their crimes, or the exact release dates.
Officials said the group includes young people, women, and prisoners over 60, who are expected to be released within six months to a year.
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