By Jessie Yeung, Patrick Oppmann, CNN
Havana (CNN) — Cuba’s government will free 2,010 prisoners in the largest such release in years, it announced Thursday, as the island buckles under increasing pressure from the Trump administration.
The government decided to grant its pardon based on the inmates’ good conduct, their health status, and the nature of their “acts committed,” according to the notice in Granma, the ruling Communist Party’s official newspaper.
It added that the prisoners included young people, women, people above 60 years old, and foreigners. The list does not include prisoners who committed crimes such as murder, homicide, sexual assault or “crimes against authority.”
Cuba regularly detains and targets dissidents, including activists, journalists, protesters and political opponents, according to Human Rights Watch.
Havana has previously conducted sweeping prisoner releases as part of deals with international parties – for instance, in early 2025, Cuba released 553 prisoners after negotiations with the US and the Vatican, in which the Biden administration pledged to ease sanctions on the island.
US President Donald Trump rescinded the deal after taking office – prompting Cuba to temporarily pause the prisoner release, before completing it in March.
The Granma statement made no mention of the US in its announcement, citing the release to “the religious celebrations of Holy Week” as Christians around the world celebrate Easter. But Cuba has been slammed by the Trump administration’s pressure campaign, worsening the island’s already-struggling economy.
Earlier this year, through military action in Venezuela and threats of tariffs on Mexico, the Trump administration shut off the flow of oil to Cuba – attempting to strong-arm the communist-run island into making significant political and economic reforms.
Trump has insisted the Cuban government needs to finally open the island’s centralized economy before it collapses. He has frequently talked about wanting to “take Cuba.”
Many of Trump’s political allies, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are Cuba hawks who have long called for the overhaul of its communist leadership.
The island is now quickly running out of whatever oil it has left, which it uses to power vehicles and generate electricity – exacerbating a long-running energy crisis.
The island was already prone to prolonged power outages, but those have gotten worse, with power plants lacking sufficient fuel to operate. In March, Cuba suffered two nationwide blackouts in just one week – leaving its more than 10 million people without power.
Life has ground to a halt, with classes suspended at many schools, workers furloughed to save energy, and flights from some places canceled because Cuba doesn’t have enough jet fuel for long-haul flights.
Earlier this week, Trump allowed a Russian-flagged oil tanker into Cuban waters, breaking the fuel blockade, saying: “They have to survive.” The White House afterward said this was “not a policy change.”
Since Cuban revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro overthrew the US-backed regime of Fulgencio Batista in 1959, the country has been under a strict economic embargo from the US, blocking most commercial activity on the island involving Americans and creating significant legal barriers to any new investment.
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