Cuba to Release 51 Prisoners in Goodwill Move Toward Vatican

The government of Cuba announced on Thursday night that it will release 51 prisoners from its prisons in the coming days in an unexpected move.

According to the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the decision comes as a gesture of goodwill and in recognition of close relations with the Vatican City. Authorities said all prisoners selected for release have served a significant portion of their sentences and maintained good conduct while in prison.

However, the government has not revealed the identities of the prisoners who will be freed.

The announcement came just hours before Cuban President Miguel Díaz‑Canel was scheduled to hold a rare press meeting on Friday to discuss national and international issues.

Officials also highlighted that the country has granted pardons to 9,905 inmates since 2010. In addition, around 10,000 people sentenced to imprisonment have been released during the past three years.

In a related development, prominent dissident José Daniel Ferrer was released in January 2025 as part of a government decision to gradually free more than 500 prisoners following talks with the Vatican. Ferrer later left Cuba in October 2025 and is currently living in the United States.

Those prisoner releases began shortly after the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden announced plans to lift the designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism.

At present, it is unclear whether any of the 51 prisoners scheduled for release are political detainees. According to the nonprofit organization Prisoners Defenders, there were 1,214 political prisoners in Cuba as of February 2026.