Cuba pardons over 2,000 inmates during economic and fuel crisis, U.S. pressure

(SeaPRwire) –   Cuba’s government has freed over 2,000 prisoners at a time when the island is dealing with increasing economic strain tied to U.S. sanctions and deteriorating fuel shortages.

The Cuban Embassy in Washington stated that authorities pardoned 2,010 inmates in accordance with the country’s constitutional provisions, pointing to reasons like good conduct, time served so far, and health status.

“This humanitarian and sovereign act was rooted in a thorough assessment of the type of crimes the inmates committed, their positive behavior during incarceration, and the fact that they had completed a substantial part of their sentences,” the embassy noted in a statement shared on X.

Officials indicated that those released consist of young individuals, women, elderly people, along with foreign citizens and Cuban nationals who reside overseas but were jailed on the island.

The government specified that it excluded prisoners found guilty of severe crimes—such as murder, sexual assault, violent theft, drug-related offenses, and corruption of minors—as well as habitual offenders.

This action represents the second prisoner release this year and takes place during Holy Week, a time Cuban officials have called a traditional period for such measures.

The release occurs as Cuba struggles with a worsening economic and energy crisis, partially fueled by a renewed pressure campaign from the Trump administration that aims to block the island’s access to foreign oil. These restrictions have led to widespread fuel shortages, power outages, and rising unrest throughout the country.

WATCH: Cuban power outages trigger protests as Trump suggests possible U.S. intervention

President Donald Trump has issued threats of tariffs against any country that supplies oil to Cuba and has pressured nations like Mexico to stop shipments as part of a larger initiative to tighten the island’s energy supply.

Earlier this week, the U.S. permitted a tanker to deliver fuel to Cuba following months of acute shortages, with the White House characterizing the action as a humanitarian exception instead of a policy change.

Trump has also ramped up his rhetoric, recently stating “Cuba’s next” during a discussion of U.S. foreign actions, though he later tried to minimize the comment.

The worsening crisis has also ignited protests and confrontations across the island.

Cuba has been governed by the communist party since Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution, and is currently led by President Miguel Díaz-Canel, who took over from Raúl Castro in 2018.