APTOPIX Cuba Prisoner Release

Emilio Alejandro Leyva, a pardoned prisoner, right, hugs his mother Katia Arias Mendoza after his release from La Lima penitentiary in Guanabacoa, Havana, Cuba, Friday, April 3, 2026.

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As freed prisoners celebrate in Cuba, human rights groups demand clarity and release of protesters

As freed prisoners celebrate in Cuba, human rights groups demand clarity and release of protesters

Families wrapped their arms around freed loved ones outside Cuban prisons on Friday. The outpouring of joy from families comes the day after Cuba’s government said it was going to release 2,010 prisoners in what it said was “humanitarian gestures” ahead of Holy Week. The release comes as the Cuban government has faced extreme pressure and a crippling oil blockade by the Trump administration, which has openly expressed the desire for regime change and the release of prisoners arrested for protesting.