U.S. Confirms Release Of 'Some' Cuba Political Prisoners

Monica Cantilero Wednesday, January 07, 2015

A man walks past an image of Cuban revolutionary hero Ernesto ''Che'' Guevara in Havana on Dec. 27, 2014. | REUTERS/Stringer

Cuba has released some of the 53 people the United States regards as political prisoners after relations between the two countries thawed after half a century, the US State Department said on Tuesday.

"...[A]s Raul Castro indicated in his December 17th speech, the Cuban government made the decision to release these individuals as part of the discussions with them. They will – this is a commitment that they made not just to the United States but to the Vatican as well," said Jen Psaki, the department's spokesperson in a briefing.

"We will continue, of course, to urge the Cuban government to follow through on its commitment. They have already released some of the prisoners. We'd like to see this completed in the near future. And certainly, that's something we'll continue to discuss," the official added.

This was the first time the State Department acknowledged Cuba's release of political prisoners. Psaki, however, declined to give the exact number of released detainees. Reuters also reported that no names were given by authorities.

"I also think it's important to note that we've been very careful about discussing these prisoners and this process because we're not looking to put a bigger target on Cuban political dissidents. We're looking to get them released, and this is the process that we think will be most effective in getting that done," Psaki explained.

Cuba's Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation chief Elizardo Sanchez told reporters that his agency was not aware of such.

The lack of information about the fate of the detainees only strengthened opposition against Obama's move to restore ties with the country, with Florida Senator Marco Rubio, a Cuban-American Republican, asking the President to halt upcoming talks with Havana until all prisoners have been freed.

The release of all 53 is not a pre-condition for this month's talks on migration and the eventual normalization of relations between the two countries, Psaki clarified.