Cuba to pardon more than 2,000 prisoners as US eases fuel blockade
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Cuba pardons 2,010 prisoners as Trump administration allows Russian fuel tanker to deliver oil to the island.
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Cuba announced Thursday it will pardon 2,010 prisoners as a "humanitarian" gesture during Holy Week. The pardon announcement follows the Trump administration's decision days earlier to allow a Russian tanker to deliver crude oil to Cuba, easing a de facto US fuel blockade on the island nation. The timing suggests Cuba is responding to Trump's pressure and the partial lifting of energy restrictions with a goodwill measure. The prisoner release could serve multiple purposes for Havana—demonstrating responsiveness to US pressure while marking the Christian holy season. The moves reflect an apparent thaw in US-Cuba relations after years of tensions, though the underlying embargo remains in place.
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The Trump administration approved a Russian tanker to deliver crude oil to Cuba, easing a de facto US fuel blockade.
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Cubans study oil tanker diplomacy for signs of progress in secret talks with US
Cuba begins prisoner release after mass pardon: over 2000 inmates released
As freed prisoners celebrate in Cuba, human rights groups demand clarity and release of protesters - AP News
Cuba begins releasing prisoners under scrutiny of rights groups, U.S. govt - Reuters
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