Pope Francis has hailed the release of Cuban prisoners as a “gesture of great hope” that he prays will be undertaken elsewhere.

Jose Daniel Ferrer, the leader of one of the largest banned anti-government groups in Cuba, was released two days after a surprise flurry of diplomatic activity involving the communist-run island in the waning days of the Biden administration.

A leading Cuban dissident and activist has been released from jail as part of a wider prisoner release deal between the Cuban government and the United States. Jose Daniel Ferrer spent more than three years in prison following anti-government protests that swept through the Communist-run island in 2021.

(Tribune News Service) — Just hours after his release from prison on Thursday, Cuban opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer called on the incoming Trump administration to make no concessions to the Havana regime but at the same time help alleviate the humanitarian crisis on the island.

After years of harassment, surveillance and constant threats from state security due to his reporting, freelance journalist José Luis Tan Estrada has been forced to leave the country. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urges the international community to take action so that Cuban media professionals can safely work in their own country.

The Biden administration lifted Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism on Tuesday, four years after the Trump White House issued the designation.

President Joe Biden is to remove the US designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism as part of a prisoner release deal, the White House said on Tuesday. Shortly afterwards, Cuba announced it would release 553 prisoners detained for "diverse crimes". It is hoped these will include participants in anti-government protests four years ago.

Cuban dissident and human rights activist Jose Daniel Ferrer told Reuters on Thursday he had been released from jail and was at home, part of a broader plan negotiated with the Vatican to gradually free upwards of 500 prisoners.

The South African Communist Party (SACP) notes the decision of the United States government to remove Cuba from the list of the so-called “state sponsors of terrorism”. In the first place, Cuba should never have been included on the list.

On Wednesday January 15, in a final snub ahead of Donald Trump's return to the White House, US President Joe Biden announced the surprise removal of Cuba from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism.

With scheduled and ongoing projects, Cuba aims to transform its airports into modern and efficient gateways to boost tourism and economic growth.