Cuba releases first jailed anti-government protesters following US agreement.

 

Dariel Cruz García was one of the first to be released by the Cuban government following the Vatican-brokered agreement.

Cuba has begun releasing the first of hundreds of prisoners it agreed to free as part of a deal with the United States.

The agreement, brokered by the Catholic Church, led President Joe Biden to remove Cuba from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism just days before the end of his term. In return, the Cuban government committed to releasing 553 people, many of whom were detained during anti-government protests in 2021.

While the deal has been cautiously welcomed in Havana, there are concerns about its long-term viability. Marco Rubio, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state, suggested during his Senate nomination hearing that the decision could be reversed. Rubio remarked that "the new administration is not bound by that decision," referring to the sanctions the Biden administration lifted.

Mike Waltz, Trump's choice for national security adviser, echoed similar sentiments on Fox News, stating, "Anything they [the Biden administration] are doing right now, we can do back, and no one should be under any illusion in terms of a change in Cuba policy."

Despite these concerns, Cuba released about 20 prisoners on Wednesday, according to local NGOs. Among those freed was 53-year-old Donaida Pérez Paseiro, who had been sentenced to eight years in prison for participating in the 2021 protests. In a social media video, she accused the Cuban government of using her and her fellow prisoners as "a bargaining chip" to secure Cuba’s removal from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism. She also vowed to "continue to fight for Cuba's freedom."

Dariel Cruz García, 23, was also among those released. He had been sentenced to 15 years in prison for sedition after joining the 2021 protests. Cruz García, whose sentence has since been reduced, told Reuters that officials had allowed him to serve the remainder of his sentence at home. "I escaped from hell to be with my family. I'll behave myself so I can move on," he said.

Yaquelinz is relieved that her son Dariel was among those released.

Maricela Sosa, the vice-president of Cuba's highest court, stated on TV that those released had neither been granted amnesty nor pardoned, and cautioned that they could be re-arrested if they violated the terms of their parole.

Hundreds of families are still anxiously waiting to learn if their loved ones will be among the 553 individuals the government has agreed to release.

"They're desperate, all waiting with tremendous anxiety for a call from their children," said Dariel Cruz García’s mother in an interview with Reuters.