On Thursday, the Cuban humanitarian organization released a video showing the release of a political prisoner in Cuba amidst pressure from the United States and ongoing diplomatic negotiations between the two countries.
The widely circulated video shows Sissi Abascal Zamora embracing her relatives outside La Bellotex women’s prison. Abascal’s release came after a report by USA Today on two other Cuban political prisoners who were given an ultimatum to choose between exile or imprisonment following secret talks between U.S. and Cuban officials in Havana. The two prisoners chose exile but are still detained.
The Cuban Observatory of Human Rights released the video of Abascal’s release after nearly five years of imprisonment. She was sentenced to six years for participating in a protest on July 11, 2021 and is the youngest political prisoner in the Cuban human rights group “Ladies in White”.
According to Cuban media outlet CiberCuba, Abascal’s release was facilitated by Santiago Álvarez, a prominent developer from Miami, who heads the non-profit organization Judicial Rescue Foundation. One of the conditions set by the Cuban authorities for her release was that Abascal must leave Cuba.
Coinciding with Abascal’s release on May 14th, a U.S. military plane took off from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland to Jose Martí International Airport in Havana. The Boeing 737 aircraft, modified for diplomatic travel by the U.S. State Department, executed this special air mission.
Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 data shows the aircraft took off as a “Special Air Mission” from Andrews base at 6:16 AM on Thursday, landed in Havana, and returned to MacDill Air Force Base in Florida in the afternoon.
Reuters reported that Cuban government officials revealed that CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with the Cuban Minister of the Interior on May 14th. Cuban officials later confirmed the visit of this top U.S. intelligence official in an official statement.
The day before this diplomatic negotiation, the U.S. State Department proposed a $100 million humanitarian aid package to be distributed through the Catholic Church and other aid organizations.
Earlier on May 14th, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla stated that Cuba is considering the proposal and urged de-escalation. Cuba is currently facing an increasingly severe energy crisis due to a fuel blockade.
(Reference from USA Today)