Pope Francis has hailed the release of Cuban prisoners as a “gesture of great hope” that he prays will be undertaken elsewhere.

Jose Daniel Ferrer, the leader of one of the largest banned anti-government groups in Cuba, was released two days after a surprise flurry of diplomatic activity involving the communist-run island in the waning days of the Biden administration.

Cuba on Wednesday began releasing prisoners jailed following anti-government protests in 2021, making good on a deal with the Catholic Church that prompted the Biden administration to say it would loosen sanctions on the communist-run nation.

Cuban pastor Lorenzo Rosales Fajardo was released from prison before completing his eight-year sentence for peacefully protesting in 2021, joining several others who were freed after the United

Cuba has released prominent dissident José Daniel Ferrer from jail, as part of a Cuban government decision to gradually free more than 500 prisoners as part of talks with the Vatican.

(Tribune News Service) — Just hours after his release from prison on Thursday, Cuban opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer called on the incoming Trump administration to make no concessions to the Havana regime but at the same time help alleviate the humanitarian crisis on the island.

The Biden administration lifted Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism on Tuesday, four years after the Trump White House issued the designation.

President Joe Biden is to remove the US designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism as part of a prisoner release deal, the White House said on Tuesday. Shortly afterwards, Cuba announced it would release 553 prisoners detained for "diverse crimes". It is hoped these will include participants in anti-government protests four years ago.

At the end of his one-term presidency, Joe Biden announced that Cuba will no longer be included on a list of state sponsors of terrorism.View on euronews

Cuba started releasing some prisoners Wednesday as part of talks with the Vatican, a day after President Biden's administration announced his intent to lift the U.S. designation of the island nation as a state sponsor of terrorism.

The South African Communist Party (SACP) notes the decision of the United States government to remove Cuba from the list of the so-called “state sponsors of terrorism”. In the first place, Cuba should never have been included on the list.