In a stunning eleventh-hour move, the Biden administration has struck a deal with the Cuban government, mediated through the Vatican, to secure the release of over 500 detainees in Cuba, including many arrested during the historic July 11, 2021 protests. The agreement, coming just days before Biden leaves office, also reverses key Trump-era sanctions on Cuba, removing the country from the controversial state sponsors of terrorism list.
Prisoners Taste Freedom as Cuba Deal Unfolds
Among those set to be freed are July 11 protesters like Rowland Jesús Castillo, just 17 when arrested for sedition, Lisdany Rodríguez Isaac, 22, sentenced to 8 years, and Donaida Pérez Paseiro, a Yoruba religious leader and mother of two, also given 8 years despite her husband also being jailed. High-profile opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer became the most prominent released so far.
When I was in that cell I thought I would never get out. I prepared myself mentally.
– Maykel González Vivero, journalist and LGBTQ+ activist arrested in July 2021 protests
Cuba Sheds “Terror Sponsor” Label, Sanctions Lifted
The deal reverses Trump’s last-minute January 2021 move putting Cuba on the state sponsors of terrorism list alongside North Korea, Iran and Syria. It lifts sanctions on Cuban military companies, and suspends a law letting Cuban Americans sue for confiscated property. The changes caught many by surprise.
This wasn’t on my bingo card for the lame duck presidency.
– Michael Bustamante, University of Miami Cuban & Cuban-American Studies chair
Cuba’s Economy in Freefall Amid Sanctions
Cuba has suffered immensely under US sanctions kept in place from Trump through Biden. Since 2019:
- GDP has plummeted 12%, with further drops expected
- Inflation has rendered state wages and pensions nearly worthless
- Over 10% of the population has fled the island nation
- Hunger, misery and ill-health are now commonplace
What Will Incoming Trump Admin Do?
Experts note the fragility of the deal, as it can easily be reversed once Trump retakes office. Incoming Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed he still believes Cuba sponsors terrorism. Some worry Biden’s move may ultimately prove destructive by putting an even bigger target on Cuba.
Who is on that list, who is ultimately released, is really important. Whether Cuba includes some particularly high-profile names will send a signal.
– Michael Bustamante
As Cubans on the island and in exile anxiously track the prisoner releases and brace for the Trump administration’s response, only one thing is certain – the future of US-Cuba relations remains as unpredictable as ever. For the 11J detainees tasting freedom, it’s a bittersweet victory after all they’ve endured. The scars and trauma will linger long after their release.
