In a new movement amid international pressure, the Cuban regime announced the release of more than 2,000 prisoners, in what represents the second trial of its kind so far this year. The measure comes after recent negotiations and diplomatic gestures, rekindling doubts about its political background
.
As reported by the official newspaper Granma, the decision will reach 2,010 people sanctioned and is protected by article 90 of the Constitution. The government maintained that the pardon responds to an analysis of variables such as the seriousness of the crimes, the conduct in prison, the length of time served and the health status of the inmates
. Miguel Diaz-Canel.
The beneficiaries include young people, women, adults over 60, people close to regaining their freedom, and also foreigners or Cubans living abroad. However, those who “committed” serious crimes, as well as repeat and multirepeat offenders, were excluded, limiting the effective scope of the measure
.
One of the most questioned points is the exclusion of so-called “crimes against authority”, a figure widely used in Cuba to sanction demonstrators, opponents and citizens critical of the regime. This decision once again leaves out of the process a significant part of those arrested for political reasons.
The announcement is part of the celebrations of Holy Week, an instance that the regime usually uses to justify this type of measure within its criminal system. However, the context in which it occurs suggests a broader reading, linked to the need to send signals to the outside
. Miguel Diaz-Canel.
In this sense, the most recent precedent reinforces doubts about the real scope of these decisions. After the agreement announced in March with the Vatican, which contemplated the release of 51 prisoners, only 24 prisoners for political reasons have actually been released from prison so far
.
Although the volume of the pardon is significant in numerical terms, recent precedents invite caution. As it is a regime with a long history of repression and propaganda, for the time being it is perceived as a gesture of detente, waiting for it to be translated into action in the next few hours
