Cuba releases people serving prison sentences, in the spirit of the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025

Cuba has released 553 people serving prison sentences, within the requirements established by current legislation, and as a sign of the respectful, frank and constructive relationship with The Vatican.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel highlighted on the social network X that he informed Pope Francis of this decision in the spirit of the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025 declared by His Holiness and which has just begun.

Through a statement, the Cuban Foreign Ministry indicated that, as part of the close bilateral ties, the government of the Caribbean country has remained in communication with the Supreme Pontiff and with his representatives, on processes of review and release of persons deprived of liberty.

Statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba:

As part of the close and fluid relations with the Vatican State, the Cuban government has maintained communication with Pope Francis and his representatives and, as in the past, has informed His Holiness about the review and release processes of persons deprived of liberty, a practice that is common in our justice system and that has characterized the humanitarian trajectory of the Revolution.

As a manifestation of this practice and under the provisions of national legislation, more than 10 thousand people sentenced to deprivation of liberty were released between 2023 and 2024 with different types of benefits provided for by law.

In June 2023, President Miguel Díaz-Canel visited the Vatican and met with the Supreme Pontiff, which was preceded by a meeting with Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla in August 2022.  Among other matters of mutual interest and international events, information on this topic was shared during these meetings and the unjust nature and harmful effect of the United States policy towards Cuba was discussed in depth. His Holiness has given clear signs of sympathy and affection towards the Cuban people.

In early January, President Díaz-Canel addressed a letter to the Supreme Pontiff in which, in the spirit of the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025 declared by His Holiness and which has just begun, he communicated the decision to grant freedom to 553 people sentenced in due process for various crimes contemplated by law.  The releases are carried out on the basis of a careful analysis of the different modalities contemplated by the legislation, and as part of the fair and humanitarian nature of the Cuban penal and penitentiary systems. These people will receive their respective benefits gradually.

We maintain a respectful, frank and constructive relationship with the Vatican and the Supreme Pontiff, which facilitates decisions such as the one recently taken, within the requirements established by current legislation, the humanitarian sense of the Cuban justice system and compliance with obligations to internal order and citizen security.

Havana, January 14, 2025