After US President Joe Biden announced plans to remove Cuba from the US terrorism list just before the end of his term, Cuba is now set to release 553 prisoners, according to the country’s Foreign Ministry. The Vatican is said to have mediated the deal.
Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel informed Pope Francis in a letter at the beginning of January of the decision to allow the release of 553 individuals, who had been convicted of several criminal offenses in accordance with a regular procedure, the Foreign Ministry stated.
Earlier in June 2023, the Cuban President had paid a visit to the Vatican and met with the Pope. This visit was preceded by a meeting between the Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, and the Pope. During these meetings, “questions of mutual interest and other topics on the international agenda” were discussed. The focus was on the detrimental effects of the US policy on Cuba, the Foreign Ministry of Cuba stated. The Pope has “unmistakably demonstrated his compassion and love for the Cuban people”.
As the White House announced on Tuesday, Biden had informed Congress in a letter about the changed designation of Cuba. The justification given was that the Cuban government in the previous six months had not provided support for international terrorism and had committed to not supporting such actions in the future in the future. The Congress still needs to review the decision, but it is considered likely that Biden’s successor, Donald Trump, will put Cuba back on the list.