6 Responses to “So much for good relations with Cuba. Russia is reporting that Cuba is refusing to free political prisoners, so our taxpayer money will prop the communist tyranny which refuses to grant any freedoms, just like China”

1. tom madison
   January 8th, 2015 @ 5:22 am

   Please translate from Russian.

2. Sandy Beach
   January 8th, 2015 @ 3:22 pm

   Cuba releases three prisoners in sign of meeting US agreement
   https://www.dailytimes.com.pk/foreign/09-Jan-2015/cuba-releases-three-prisoners-in-sign-of-meeting-us-agreement

   Cuba frees eight more political prisoners, dissidents say
   https://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/08/us-cuba-usa-prisoners-idUSKBN0KH1I720150108

3. dr_taitz@yahoo.com
   January 8th, 2015 @ 4:10 pm

   those prisoners were supposed to be released due to the prior agreement with the pope. Dozens of political prisoners are sitting in prison

4. Sandy Beach
   January 8th, 2015 @ 4:43 pm

   There were TWO deals to release prisoners?
   One with the Pope and the other that the article refers to?
   How many prisoners were involved with the Pope deal?

   https://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/08/us-cuba-usa-prisoners-idUSKBN0KH1I720150108

   Havana’s commitment to free the 53 prisoners was a major part of a historic deal announced last month under which the two governments agreed to renew diplomatic relations after more than 50 years.

5. Sandy Beach
   January 8th, 2015 @ 7:08 pm

   In December, Cuba released Alan Gross and an un-named U.S. citizen. USA released three prisoners. That deal is done.

   There is a list of 53 prisoners to be released by Cuba. According to the links I gave in comment #2, ELEVEN were released recently.

   ———————–
   Dec. 17, 2014,
   Cuba releases American Alan Gross in prisoner swap
   Gross’ “humanitarian” release by Cuba was accompanied by a separate spy swap, the officials said. Cuba also freed a U.S. intelligence source who has been jailed in Cuba for more than 20 years, although authorities did not identify that person for security reasons. The U.S. released three Cuban intelligence agents convicted of espionage in 2001.
   The three Cubans released as a part of the deal belonged the so-called Cuban Five, a quintet of Cuban intelligence officers convicted in 2001 for espionage.
   The leader of the five, Gerardo Hernandez, was linked to the February 1996 downing of the two civilian planes operated by the U.S.-based dissident group Brothers to the Rescue, in which four men died. He is serving a two life sentences. Luis Medina, also known as Ramon Labanino; and Antonio Guerrero have just a few years left on their sentences.
   The remaining two — Rene Gonzalez and Fernando Gonzalez — were released after serving most of their 15-year sentences and have already returned to Cuba, where they were hailed as heroes.
   “But if we hope for change with Cuba, we must try for a different approach. And we believe that considerably more engagement with the Cuban people and the Cuban government is the way to do that,” the official said, adding that the United States “will not for a moment lessen our support for improvement in human rights.”
   To that end, Cuba has agreed to release 53 political prisoners from a list of names provided by the United States. At least one of the prisoners has already been released. Havana has also agreed to permit significant access by its citizens to the Internet and allow the International Committee of the Red Cross and United Nations human rights officials back on the island for the first time in years.
   Talks on a deal began between senior White House and Cuban officials last year and happened in fits and starts, officials said. The officials praised the role the Vatican played as guarantor of the process.
   https://fox2now.com/2014/12/17/cuba-releases-american-alan-gross-in-prisoner-swap/

   Dec. 17, 2014,
   Alan Gross freed from Cuba prison, returns to U.S.
   Also Wednesday, as part of a prisoner swap, the Cuban government released a U.S. intelligence “asset” jailed in Cuba for 20 years, CBS News chief White House correspondent Major Garrett reports.
   U.S. officials confirmed that three Cuban intelligence officers were freed after Gross was released, Garrett reports. The officials stress that Gross’ release was not part of the prisoner swap from the administration’s point of view.
   https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alan-gross-released-from-cuba-prison/

   Dec. 17, 2014
   How Pope Francis Helped Broker Cuba Deal
   “Pope Francis personally issued an appeal in a letter that he sent to President Obama and to President Raul Castro calling on them to resolve the case of Alan Gross and the cases of the three Cubans who have been imprisoned here in the United States and also encouraging the United States and Cuba to pursue a closer relationship,” said the official.
   https://time.com/3637901/pope-francis-cuba-obama/

   Dec. 18, 2014,
   Pope Francis played key role in U.S.-Cuba deal
   https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/12/17/pope-key-role-in-us-cuba-deal/20533525/

   Dec. 17, 2014,
   White House Credits Pope Francis For Facilitating Cuba Deal
   https://www.buzzfeed.com/evanmcsan/white-house-credits-pope-francis-for-facilitating-cuba-deal#.ciqYnmPYJ

6. Sandy Beach
   January 9th, 2015 @ 11:07 am

   Fri Jan 9, 2015
   Cuba dissidents say 36 activists freed as part of deal with U.S.

   One of Cuba’s most prominent dissident groups said on Friday that 36 opposition activists, including a popular hip-hop artist, have been freed in the last two days as part of a deal to improve relations between Cuba and the United States.

   Cuba’s commitment to free 53 prisoners was a key part of the historic deal announced on Dec. 17 under which the Cuban and U.S. governments agreed to renew diplomatic relations after more than 50 years of hostilities.

   Almost all of those freed so far appear on an informal list of political prisoners drawn up several months ago by dissidents, but it is not known if they were all on the list of 53 that the United States negotiated with Cuba.

   Details about who will be freed have been withheld by both governments, providing ammunition for U.S. opponents of the detente, who have complained that President Barack Obama has not pushed Cuba hard enough on human rights and that the government in Havana was not living up to its side of the bargain.

   The White House hailed the releases.

   “The United States welcomes the substantial and ongoing releases of prisoners in Cuba,” senior White House official Ben Rhodes said on Twitter on Friday.

   https://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/09/us-cuba-usa-prisoners-idUSKBN0KI12N20150109

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