Exclusive: Cuba has freed all 53 prisoners as agreed in U.S. deal - U.S. officials

[okaawhatever]

Source: Reuters



(Reuters) - Cuba has released all 53 prisoners it had promised to free, senior U.S. officials said, a major step toward détente with Washington.

The release of the remaining prisoners sets a positive tone for historic talks next week aimed at normalizing relations after decades of hostility, the officials said.

They described the Cuban government’s release over the weekend of the last detainees on the list as a milestone but said they would keep pressing Havana to free more people the United States considers political prisoners.

The officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, did not say how many prisoners were released over the weekend or identify them. But the White House will provide the names of all 53 to Congress and expects lawmakers to make them public, the officials added.

Continued at Link:

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/12/us-usa-cuba-prisoners-idUSKBN0KL10K20150112

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. Odd 'exclusive', since the BBC reported it hours earlier

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014982050#post8

And AP: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cuba-releases-53-political-prisoners-as-part-of-us-deal/

[DonViejo]

3. Four days ago,...

that great bastion of liberal ideology, the Washington Post, published an editorial blasting the administration because, according to the Edit. Board, only five people were released.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/three-weeks-after-cuba-accord-why-havent-more-political-prisoners-been-freed/2015/01/08/c2fe94f4-975f-11e4-8005-1924ede3e54a_story.html

[burrowowl]

2. When are we going to release

terrorist Posada to them?

[former9thward]

4. Maybe when they release U.S. fugitives to us.