Cuba: Authorities must now release those detained for political reasons and end repression

One month after the Cuban authorities announced the imminent release of 51 detainees and following the recent announcement of a pardon for 2,010 people on 2 April 2026, Amnesty International warns that the measures remain marked by a lack of transparency and discretion, with no guarantee of full release or genuine respect for human rights. The organization reiterates its call for the immediate and unconditional release of all people detained for political reasons and an end to the repression of those who are simply exercising their human rights.

To date, the Cuban authorities have not published a complete official list of the people granted releases or pardons. Experience from previous processes shows that opaque and discretionary measures can leave people under arbitrary restrictions, constant surveillance, bans on leaving the country and the permanent threat of being sent back to prison, perpetuating a climate of control and fear.

“The Cuban authorities continue to administer freedom as if it were a discretionary concession and not an obligation of the state. It is time to replace partial, opaque, revocable and unwarranted announcements with the immediate and unconditional release of all people imprisoned solely for exercising their human rights, and the definitive cessation of the use of freedom as a political bargaining chip”, said Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International.

The Cuban authorities continue to administer freedom as if it were a discretionary concession and not an obligation of the state.”

Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International.

Amnesty International recalls that the processes of release or pardon do not replace the state’s obligation to end arbitrary detention, overturn unjust sentences or fully compensate victims. In particular, it stresses that no person should be deprived of their liberty, or have their rights restricted, for expressing critical opinions, demonstrating peacefully or reporting on the reality of the country.

To date, none of the people recognized by Amnesty International as prisoners of conscience in Cuba – Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, Maykel Castillo Pérez (Osorbo), Félix Navarro Rodríguez, Saily Navarro Álvarez, Roberto Pérez Fonseca, Loreto Hernández García and Donaida Pérez Paseiro – have been released.

Following the announcement of pardons, human rights organizations monitoring the situation in the country have been unable to verify the release of any person detained for political reasons.

These new announcements come against a backdrop of intensifying state repression. In March 2026, social protests broke out in the city of Morón, province of Ciego de Ávila, amid prolonged blackouts, fuel shortages and the sustained deterioration of living conditions. According to information documented by the human rights organization Cubalex, at least 85 people were arrested after protests during the month of March, including at least two teenagers.

The crackdown has also intensified against digital content creators, as well as their families. In recent weeks, Amnesty International has documented threats, surveillance, arbitrary detentions and pressure against young people who use social media to question the authorities from within the island.

For example, content creators from the digital media channel El4tico, who were subjected to warrantless searches of the house where they produced their content, remain arbitrarily detained

and face criminal proceedings for reporting; young people from the Fuera de la Caja project, whose relatives reported intimidation by state security; and the reprisals and criminalization reported by Ana Bensi and her mother, in a context of harassment linked to their social media activity.

“The repression in Cuba is not only directed against those who protest or against historical figures of dissent. It also targets young people who report, comment or create content, and deliberately punishes their mothers, fathers and relatives as a form of coercion. This use of the family environment to sow fear reveals the extent of the closure of civic space in Cuba”, said Ana Piquer.

The repression in Cuba is not only directed against those who protest or against historical figures of dissent. It also targets young people who report, comment or create content, and deliberately punishes their mothers, fathers and relatives as a form of coercion.”

Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International.

All this occurs in the midst of a crisis due to the deterioration of living conditions that continue to affect access to basic rights and services such as electricity, food, medicine, transport and other essential goods, deepening the daily suffering of the population.

Amnesty International reiterates that no measure, internal or external, should aggravate the suffering of the Cuban people. In this regard, the organization maintains its rejection of unilateral external coercive measures that worsen living conditions on the island, while stressing that they do not exempt the Cuban state from its obligation to respect, protect and guarantee human rights.

The announcement of contact and conversations between officials from Cuba and the United States adds a new political dimension to the current context. On 13 March, Miguel Díaz-Canel publicly confirmed that representatives of both governments had held exchanges to address bilateral differences and identify possible areas of cooperation, without detailing their content. For Amnesty International, any dialogue process must centre around the human rights and humanitarian needs of all people in Cuba, without discrimination.

“Human rights are non-negotiable: the future of Cuba must be agreed and determined with full accountability, justice and reparations to those who live under repression, scarcity and a lack of freedoms”, concluded Ana Piquer.

Human rights are non-negotiable: the future of Cuba must be agreed and determined with full accountability, justice and reparations to those who live under repression, scarcity and a lack of freedoms.”

Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact press@amnesty.org

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