Cuba to release 51 prisoners in Vatican-brokered deal

Cuba has announced on Thursday that it will release 51 prisoners in the coming days under an agreement with the Vatican, at a time when the government has come under increasing pressure from the US to reform its one-party rule.

The prisoner release follows two weeks after Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez met with Pope Leo in the Vatican and at a time when Cuba faces a severe economic crisis, one aggravated by US President Donald Trump's imposition of a virtual oil blockade on the Caribbean island.

"In the spirit of goodwill and the close and fluid relations between the Cuban state and the Vatican, with which communication has historically been maintained regarding the review and release of prisoners, the Cuban government has decided to release 51 people sentenced to imprisonment in the coming days," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"All have served a significant portion of their sentences and have maintained good conduct in prison," it said.

Cuba said it has granted pardons to 9,905 inmates since 2010 while granting early release to another 10,000 in the past three years.

In March 2025, it granted early release to 553 prisoners in another Vatican-brokered deal.

But human rights groups say the government is holding hundreds of political prisoners, with estimates varying.

It was unclear how many of the 51 prisoners subject to the latest release have been held on common crimes or charges related to public displays of dissent.

"This sovereign decision is a common practice in our criminal justice system and has characterised the humanitarian trajectory of the revolution, which this time coincides with the approach of the religious celebrations of Holy Week," Cuba said.

The Cuban government has always rejected any suggestion it makes decisions under US pressure. On January 3, the US captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, removing from power Cuba's most important foreign benefactor.

Trump, in recent weeks, had made a series of threatening statements, saying either that Cuba was on the verge of collapse or eager to make a deal with the United States. On Monday, he said Cuba may be subject to a "friendly takeover," then added, "it may not be a friendly takeover."

"Wouldn't really matter because they're really down to ... as they say, fumes. They have no energy, they have no money," Trump told reporters in Doral, Florida.

The Cuban government has denied that any official talks are underway with the US, but has yet to explicitly deny press reports that US officials were in talks with Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, the grandson of former Cuban President Raul Castro, who is 94 and still wields great influence.