By Dave Sherwood and Mario Fuentes
HAVANA, April 3 (Reuters) - Cuba began releasing prisoners from its jails on Friday just hours after its communist-run government announced a sweeping amnesty coinciding with the most intense pressure campaign applied by the U.S. in decades.
More than 2,000 prisoners are slated to be released as part of Cuba's state-run media on Thursday called a "sovereign and humanitarian" gesture, the largest such amnesty in 10 years.
The U.S. said it was closely monitoring whether
those it deems to be political prisoners would be among the liberated.
"It is unclear how many, if any, political prisoners will be released," the spokesperson said. "We continue to call for the immediate release of the hundreds of other brave Cuban patriots who remain unjustly detained."
The question of political prisoners has long been a major sticking point in negotiations between Washington and Havana. The release of all, or the majority, of political prisoners would be seen as a major concession on Cuba's part in ongoing talks between the two countries.
"LONG LIVE FREEDOM"
A steady stream of men and women could be seen leaving the La Lima prison in Guanabacoa, just outside Havana, through the morning on Friday. Reuters spoke with several who had been pardoned of common crimes ranging from theft to bribery, but none had been involved in political anti-government protests.
"Long-live freedom," shouted one man, convicted of theft, as he embraced his sister, waiting for him outside the prison gates. Others left more quietly, some in tears, holding a single white slip of paper that stated the reason for their discharge was a "pardon."
Abel Tamayo, convicted of bribery in 2024 and released Friday, said the amnesty was proof the Cuban government was open to change.
"This shows they are open to everything, open to dialogue, open to national unity," Tamayo told Reuters. "There are many people who are imprisoned who may well be bad people, but there are also many who are good people."
The Cuban government has consistently rejected any suggestion it makes decisions under U.S. pressure.
Neither the U.S. nor the Vatican, which was involved in prior amnesties, were mentioned in state-run media reports outlining Thursday evening's announcement.
UNCLE SAM WATCHING
Human rights groups, some financed by the U.S. government, say the Cuba is holding hundreds of political prisoners, with estimates varying, and promised scrutiny of the prisoner release process.
Cuba has repeatedly denied it holds political prisoners. Island authorities say those jailed during anti-government protests are found guilty of crimes including public disorder, resisting arrest, robbery and vandalism.
The Cuban Observatory for Human Rights, a Madrid-based group that has received U.S. funding, said that by noon Friday it had yet to register the release of any so-called "prisoners of conscience."
Cuba generally does not publish a list of the names of prisoners released during such amnesties, further complicating corroboration by human rights groups.
Sources told Reuters several prisons around Havana, and elsewhere in the Cuban provinces, had begun releasing prisoners.
In late 2015, the Cuban government pardoned 3,522 prisoners to coincide with Pope Francis' visit to the island during a warming of U.S.-Cuba relations under then President Barack Obama.
Cuba in March freed 51 prisoners under an agreement with the Vatican.
The rights groups said that some, but not all, of those released last month were among those they considered political prisoners.
(Reporting by Dave Sherwood and Mario Fuentes; Editing by David Gregorio)
