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Cuba Frees 53 Prisoners as Promised In Diplomatic Deal with US

After the release if dozens of prisoners, the US government says it will maintain pressure on Cuba to release more ‘political’ detainees.
Photo by Ramon Espinosa/AP

Havana has released all 53 American prisoners as agreed in the historic deal it signed with Washington in December that saw a diplomatic détente between the Cold War adversaries following decades of discord.

Anonymous US officials told Reuters that the island nation freed the last detainees listed in the exchange agreement over the weekend, ending speculation on whether Cuba would in fact honor the deal. The US Interests Section in Havana, which deals with consular and other affairs, confirmed the dozens of releases.

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The names and identities of the former prisoners have not been revealed. The White House will hand the names over to Congress, which is expected to make the list public, officials said.

The December 17 accord announced by US President Barack Obama and Cuban leader Raul Castro was 18-months in the making, and marked a dramatic shift in foreign policy that came more than 50 years after the US cut ties to the Communist Caribbean country.

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Shortly after Obama proclaimed the beginning of "a new chapter" in bilateral relations, Havana freed Alan Gross, a 65-year old US contractor held in a Cuban jail for five years, while three high-profile convicted spies jailed since 1998 — the remaining members of the "Cuban Five" —were returned to Cuba.

One of the unnamed officials also told Reuters the US government would continue to pressure Cuba to release more political detainees.

"The fact of the matter is there are other individuals whose cases we have raised in the past," the official said. "We have every expectation of going forward in the future. We're going to be wanting to raise the cases of different individuals who may be detained in Cuba for exercising their universal rights."

Cuba maintains it holds no political prisoners and usually describes the detainees held as "mercenaries" on American payroll.

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In addition to the prisoner exchanges, the former foes are also negotiating the easing of a broad range of regulations, including on foreign travel between the countries, the establishment of a US embassy in Havana, and some financial restrictions.

Despite the strengthening of diplomatic ties, the US embargo on Cuba will continue.

More high-levels talks between the countries are set to start around January 21-22 in Havana, which will touch on a range of issues from immigration to the economy.

Some other sticking points still remain between the nations, including the issue of America's Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay and the US' stated continuation of its "democracy program" in Cuba.

But these matters will take time to smooth out, the official added, saying: "You don't erase decades of mistrust overnight but you can chip away at it by taking steps to improve the relationship."

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