Cuban authorities release 51 prisoners at Vatican’s request

Pope Francis and Bruno Rodriguez. Photo: Instagram account of lopezdoriga

The Cuban government has decided to release 51 prisoners in response to a request from the Holy See, Deutsche Welle reported, citing a statement by Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez.

The move came after Rodríguez’s personal meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican around two weeks ago. Cuba’s Foreign Ministry said the amnesty reflects the “close and fluid relations” between the republic’s government and the Vatican, including on issues related to sentence reviews and the release of prisoners.

According to official information, all those granted clemency had already served a significant part of their sentences and had “maintained good conduct in prison.” Human rights advocates from the group Prisoners Defenders note that, as of February 2026, Cuba held 1,214 political prisoners. It remains unclear whether any political prisoners were included in the current group of fifty-one.

According to official figures from Havana, Cuban authorities have released around 10,000 prisoners over the past three years. The Vatican’s diplomatic efforts in cases involving prisoners in countries with similar political systems often serve as a channel for easing the fate of those behind bars.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that feminists in Latin America had carried out attacks on Roman Catholic churches.

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