Cuba will release 553 prisoners as part of an agreement with the United States.

In a statement signed by Biden, it is noted that the Cuban government has "not provided any support for international terrorism" over the past six months and has given Washington assurances that it "will not support international terrorism in the future."

The communist government of Cuba welcomed Biden's decision but expressed regret that the country is still under U.S. sanctions, which have been in place since 1962, according to AFP. Havana blames the U.S. for the most severe economic crisis in decades, with shortages of food, medicine, electricity, and fuel.

At the same time, Cuban authorities do not rule out a worsening situation following the inauguration of the elected U.S. president, Donald Trump, whose administration placed Cuba back on the list of state sponsors of terrorism in 2021.

In July 2021, thousands of Cubans took to the streets in protests due to power outages and a sharp rise in food prices. According to the human rights organization Justicia 11J, more than 1,500 protest participants were arrested, with 600 still in prison as of December 2024.

As AP notes, the decision of the Cuban government to release 553 prisoners was also influenced by the Vatican.