A final warning for Havana? The US demands the release of dissidents

During recent negotiations in Havana, the US delegation gave the Cuban authorities two weeks to release a number of the most famous political prisoners, USA Today reported on the night from Monday to Tuesday, citing anonymous sources.

The talks took place at a time of growing US pressure on the communist authorities in Havana. Washington cut off oil supplies to Cuba, and President Donald Trump announced the possibility of an imminent military intervention on the island.

The release of the prisoners is intended as a goodwill gesture and is part of broader demands from the US to introduce economic and political reforms on the island, the American newspaper reported.

According to her, the list of people affected by the ultimatum includes, among others: rapper Maykel Osorbo and artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara, members of the dissident San Isidro Movement, held in prison since 2021.

A spokesman for the U.S. Department of State told USA Today that President Donald Trump's administration is seeking the release of all political prisoners in Cuba. He added that according to Trump, changes are coming to the island and its government has little time to reach an agreement.

Axios was the first to report on the talks that took place on April 10 in Havana last week. It was the first time a U.S. government plane landed in Cuba since then-U.S. President Barack Obama's historic visit to the island in 2016.

The representative of the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alejandro Garcia del Toro, confirmed on Monday that talks had taken place, but denied that either side had resorted to threats or ultimatums.

The economic collapse and humanitarian crisis in Cuba are deepening, and there is a shortage of fuel, food and essential goods. The situation was further aggravated by the blockade of oil supplies introduced by the United States after the January military intervention in Venezuela, during which American troops captured the country's leader, Nicolas Maduro, and took him to the United States. (PAP)

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