Release of political prisoners in Cuba could lift US embargo

Spain’s Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said on Wednesday that Cuba’s release of all its political prisoners would improve relations with Europe and the US and could even lead to the lifting of the US embargo against the country.

The Spanish Foreign Minister during his visit to Cuba 6 July 2010 ©Reuters

President of the National Assembly of People’s Power of Cuba Ricardo Alarcon announced on Tuesday that his “government’s wish is to free all the people” not accused of murder.

This follows a Spain-brokered pact made earlier this month, between the Catholic Church and Havana, for Cuba to release 52 of 75 dissidents sentenced to up to 28 years in prison in 2003.

11 detainees freed a week ago have emigrated to Spain while a further eight are expected to land in Madrid this evening.

In a parliament session, Moratinos said that these releases, the fruit of a six-year dialogue with the Cuban government, would yield political consequences, in particular a “lifting of the embargo” that Washington has maintained against Cuba since 1962.