Cuba says it released over 2,000 prisoners as White House heaps pressure on island
The Cuban government says it has pardoned and released 2,010 prisoners, a sweeping move that comes as the island nation grapples with pressure from the Trump administration.
Updated on: April 2, 2026 / 10:53 PM EDT / CBS News
Calling it a "humanitarian and sovereign gesture," Cuba's Embassy in the U.S. announced the prisoner releases on X . It said those released include younger people, women, people over the age of 60, Cuban citizens who live abroad and foreign nationals. Prisoners who are guilty of various violent crimes were not eligible, according to the embassy.
It's unclear whether any political prisoners were included in the release. The nonprofit Prisoners Defenders has counted 1,211 political prisoners in Cuba.
The Cuban government said the mass pardons are this year's second prisoner release. Last month, a smaller group of 51 detainees were released.
The prisoner releases come as Cuba experiences at least a partial reprieve from the energy crisis that has crippled the island. Earlier this year, the Trump administration threatened to slap hefty tariffs on any countries that export oil to Cuba, causing fuel shortages as shipments ground to a halt for several months.