In Cuba, the process of releasing 553 prisoners who participated in the 2021 protests has been completed.

According to a report in the national press, the Supreme Court of Cuba announced the release of 553 individuals, including human rights defender Jose Daniel and activist Felix Navarro. Among those released are individuals who participated in the anti-government protests held on July 11, 2021. Some human rights advocates have confirmed that more than 200 prisoners held for political reasons have been released. Following the decision to release the prisoners, the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden removed Cuba from the list of “countries supporting terrorism,” but upon coming into office, Donald Trump added Cuba back to the list of countries supporting terrorism. PROTESTS IN 2021 In July 2021, thousands of Cubans took to the streets to protest the severe economic crisis, including widespread power outages and food shortages. The arrests of protesters led to international criticism against the Havana government, with Cuban officials pointing to U.S. sanctions as the cause of the unrest.