The Cuban government has decided to release dozens of political prisoners, responding to requests from the Catholic Church, the Cuban bishops’ conference has announced.
After a meeting with Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino of Havana, Cuban President Raul Castro announced that the government would begin releasing political prisoners immediately. The move is another indication of the growing influence exercised by the Catholic hierarchy in Cuba.
The exact number of prisoners to be released is unclear. Different news reports used different figures, ranging from 47 to more than 70. In any case the announcement points toward the most important release of political prisoners since the consolidation of the Castro regime in the 1960s.
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