Cuban authorities began to free prisoners on Friday after announcing it would pardon 2,010 inmates, the second release in less than a month as it faces heightened US pressure.
More than 20 inmates came out of La Lima penitentiary in east Havana, holding their release papers, crying and hugging relatives who had been waiting for them all morning, AFP journalists said.
kAmQ%92?< J@F 7@C E9:D @AA@CEF?:EJ E92E E96J 82G6 FD[Q D2:5 p=3:D v2:?K2[ ce[ H9@ 925 D6CG65 92=7 @7 2 D:I\J62C D6?E6?46 7@C C@336CJ]k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 96 4@F=5 ?@E D=66A 27E6C =62C?:?8 96 H@F=5 36 C6=62D65]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D ?665D E@ <66A 8@:?8 ]]] W2?5X >@C6 2C6 C6=62D65[Q v2:?K2 E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAm%96 rF32? 8@G6C?>6?E 2??@F?465 =2E6 %9FCD52J E92E :E H@F=5 A2C5@? a[_`_ AC:D@?6CD 2D 2 Q9F>2?:E2C:2? 2?5 D@G6C6:8? 86DEFC6Q E@ >2C< w@=J (66<]k^Am
kAmxE 5:5 ?@E =:?< :E E@ E2=<D H:E9 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D[ 3FE E96 >@G6 42>6 52JD 27E6C !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A 62D65 2 56 724E@ @:= 3=@4<256 @7 rF32 3J 2==@H:?8 2 #FDD:2? E2?<6C E@ 56=:G6C 4CF56 E@ E96 7F6=\DE2CG65 :D=2?5]k^Am
kAm%9:D Q7@==@HD 2 =@?8 A2EE6C? H96C6 E96C6 :D 2 D@?8 2?5 52?46 23@FE 9@H :E 92D ?@E9:?8 E@ 5@ H:E9 ?68@E:2E:@?D H96? :E 4=62C=J 5@6D[Q p?5C6D !6CE:6CC2[ 2 9:DE@C:2? @7 rF32 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 (:D4@?D:? :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D[ E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAm%96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 92D 42==65 7@C 492?86 :? 4@>>F?:DE\CF? rF32VD DJDE6> @7 8@G6C?>6?E 2?5 E96 &$ AC6D:56?E 92D >FD65 23@FE QE2<:?8Q E96 :D=2?5]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 EH@ D:56D 92G6 2=D@ 96=5 E2=<D C646?E=J]k^Am
kAm#6=62D:?8 A@=:E:42= AC:D@?6CD 92D =@?8 366? 2 4@C6 &$ 56>2?5 :? rF32[ 3FE :E H2D ?@E :>>65:2E6=J 4=62C :7 2?J H6C6 2>@?8 E9@D6 A2C5@?65 2D ?@ =:DE H2D AF3=:D965]k^Am
kAm%96 &$ $E2E6 s6A2CE>6?E D2:5 :E H2D 2H2C6 @7 C6A@CED @7 E96 AC:D@?6C C6=62D6 QE9@F89 :E :D F?4=62C 9@H >2?J[ :7 2?J[ A@=:E:42= AC:D@?6CD H:== 36 C6=62D65]Qk^Am
kAmQ(6 4@?E:?F6 E@ 42== 7@C E96 :>>65:2E6 C6=62D6 @7 E96 9F?5C65D @7 @E96C 3C2G6 rF32? A2EC:@ED H9@ C6>2:? F?;FDE=J 56E2:?65[Q 2 $E2E6 s6A2CE>6?E DA@<6DA6CD@? E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAmrF32 :D 9@=5:?8 ffd A@=:E:42= AC:D@?6CD[ 244@C5:?8 E@ C:89ED 8C@FA yFDE:4:2``y]k^Am
k9am\ VrC:>6D 282:?DE 2FE9@C:EJV \k^9am
kAmyFDE:4:2``y D2:5 Q2?J C6=62D6 C6AC6D6?ED :>>65:2E6 C6=:67[ 6DA64:2==J 7@C E96 72>:=:6DQ 3FE :E H2C?65 E92E E96 86DEFC6 Q5@6D ?@E 4@?DE:EFE6 2 492?86 :? E96 rF32? $E2E6VD C6AC6DD:G6 A@=:4:6D]Qk^Am
kAm%96 C:89ED 8C@FA[ H9:49 2CC6DED DE6>>:?8 7C@> >2DD:G6 2?E:\8@G6C?>6?E AC@E6DED :? yF=J a_a`[ ?@E65 E92E E96 8@G6C?>6?E 925 ?@E AF3=:D965 2 =:DE @7 E9@D6 36:?8 C6=62D65]k^Am
kAm%96 rF32? 8@G6C?>6?E D2:5 E96 C6=62D6D H@F=5 36 32D65 @? E96 ?2EFC6 @7 E96 4C:>6D[ 8@@5 3692G:@C[ 962=E9 C62D@?D 2?5 E:>6 D6CG65]k^Am
kAmxE 25565 E9@D6 C6=62D65 H@F=5 ?@E :?4=F56 A6@A=6 H9@ 4@>>:EE65 >FC56C[ D6I 2DD2F=E[ 5CF8\C6=2E65 4C:>6D[ E967E[ :==682= D=2F89E6C @7 =:G6DE@4< 2?5 Q4C:>6D 282:?DE 2FE9@C:EJ]Qk^Am
kAmyFDE:4:2``y C2:D65 D2:5 E96 >6?E:@? @7 E96 2==\6?4@>A2DD:?8 Q4C:>6D 282:?DE 2FE9@C:EJQ H2D QA2CE:4F=2C=J 4@?46C?:?8]Qk^Am
kAmQ%96D6 492C86D 92G6 :?DE625 D6CG65 2D :?DECF>6?ED @7 A@=:E:42= C6AC6DD:@? :? rF32[Q E96 }v~ D2:5]k^Am
k9am\ VvC62E 3=6DD:?8V \k^9am
kAm%96 rF32? 8@G6C?>6?E D2:5 E96 :?5:G:5F2=D 36:?8 7C665 :?4=F56 J@F?8 A6@A=6[ H@>6? 2?5 AC:D@?6CD @G6C e_ J62CD @=5 H9@ 2C6 D4965F=65 7@C 62C=J C6=62D6 H:E9:? E96 ?6IE D:I >@?E9D E@ 2 J62C]k^Am
kAm%96 8@G6C?>6?E AC6G:@FD=J 2??@F?465 @? |2C49 `a E92E :E H@F=5 7C66 d` AC:D@?6CD 2D 2 D:8? @7 Q8@@5 H:==Q E@H2C5 E96 '2E:42?[ H9:49 92D @7E6? 24E65 2D 2 >65:2E@C 36EH66? (2D9:?8E@? 2?5 w2G2?2]k^Am
kAmpE =62DE a_ A@=:E:42= AC:D@?6CD H6C6 C6=62D65 :? E96 H2<6 @7 E96 |2C49 2??@F?46>6?E[ 244@C5:?8 E@ C:89ED 8C@FA rF32=6I]k^Am
kAm~7 92=7 2 5@K6? 7@C>6C AC:D@?6CD :?E6CG:6H65 3J pu! @FED:56 {2 {:>2[ ?@?6 H6C6 ;2:=65 7@C A@=:E:42= C62D@?D]k^Am
kAmQ%9:D :D 2 @?46\:?\2\=:76E:>6 @AA@CEF?:EJ[Q D2:5 qC:2? !6C6K[ a_[ H9@ H2D ;2:=65 7@C 42FD:?8 3@5:=J :?;FCJ] Q(6 DF776C65 6?@F89 2?5 E96 >@E96CD[ E@@]Qk^Am
kAms2>:2? u2C:?2D[ a_[ H2D D6CG:?8 2 ?62C=J E9C66\J62C D6?E6?46 7@C C@336CJ]k^Am
kAmQxEVD 2 8C62E 3=6DD:?8[Q 96 D2:5] Q%9:D A2C5@? 4@>6D 2E E96 C:89E E:>6 7@C >2?J :?>2E6D]Qk^Am
kAm=:D\=E^38Dk^Am
