Cuba releases another political prisoner amid talks with the CIA: ‘This brings relief and hope’

The Cuban regime on Thursday released a political prisoner, a member of the Ladies in White opposition movement. Sissi Abascal Zamora traveled to Miami after being freed and forced into exile, as confirmed by the U.S. State Department. Her release coincided with CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s trip to Havana for an unprecedented and surprise meeting with Raúl Rodríguez Castro, “Raulito,” Raúl Castro’s grandson and confidant, as well as with Cuban Interior Minister Lázaro Álvarez Casas and the head of Cuban intelligence. “I still can’t believe it,” a nervous Abascal Zamora said upon landing in the United States.

The activist’s release comes a day after USA Today reported on two other political prisoners to whom the regime offered release in exchange for exile following a secret meeting between U.S. and Cuban officials. They are the dissident artists Maykel Castillo Pérez and Luis Manuel Otero. The newspaper stated that both detainees have opted for exile, but remain behind bars.

The Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs stated Thursday afternoon that the State Department intervened to secure the release of Sissi Abascal Zamora, an activist and opposition figure known as the youngest member of the Ladies in White movement. She was arrested following the July 11, 2021, protests in Cuba and sentenced to six years in prison. She arrived in Miami on a humanitarian visa. “After years of unjust detention by the illegitimate Cuban regime, today we welcome Damas de Blanco freedom advocate Sissi Abascal and her family after being forced into exile. The Trump Administration remains committed to the release of all political prisoners and a future free of tyranny for the Cuban people,” the bureau wrote in a message on X.

The activist was released from La Bellotex women’s prison in western Cuba, 100 kilometers from Havana. “Our consular team is proud to have helped Sissi Abascal finally gain her freedom. While we welcome her to the United States, we understand how painful it is to be forced into exile,” the U.S. Embassy in Havana wrote in a message also published on X and accompanied by a photo of the former prisoner with a U.S. official.

“We received news of this release with relief and hope,” says Camila Rodríguez, founder and director of Justicia 11J and also forced into exile. “Every person who manages to get out of prison for political reasons is a reason to celebrate. At the same time, we insist that the goal must be the release of all people deprived of their liberty for political reasons, without any distinction,” she adds by phone. “We also believe that these releases should not be conditional on exile, nor subject to parole or permanent surveillance, as happened in the 2025 release processes and in March and April of this year. People must fully recover their rights and have real guarantees of non-repetition,” she explains.

Prisoners Defenders (PD) reports a total of 1,260 political prisoners in Cuba as of April, ten more than the previous month, according to a report released Thursday. The organization warns of an “unstoppable intensification” of repression under the Cuban regime. PD reports “arbitrary detentions, temporary disappearances, threats, smear campaigns, and the criminalization of any form of critical expression against the regime.” The organization also reports 23 new detainees, including minors, independent journalists, and activists.

Rodríguez asserts that “we do not see a direct and immediate relationship between this visit by the CIA director and Sissi’s release. In recent days, we have received multiple reports of political prisoners who have been advised or pressured to leave the country, including Saily Navarro, Félix Navarro, Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, and Maykel Castillo Pérez. Rather, we believe this context should be analyzed alongside other recent events, including the diplomatic pressure from the United States for the release of high-profile political prisoners within two weeks, which was announced on April 20.”

The release comes on the same day that the regime, which appears to have reached total economic collapse, accepted the $100 million aid offer from the Trump administration to “provide direct assistance to the people.” The humanitarian aid, which will be channeled through the Catholic Church, will be used for food, fuel, and medicine.

Despite accepting this aid and receiving the CIA chief in Havana, Rodríguez doesn’t believe a radical change will occur in the short term. “I don’t think the regime will easily agree to a mass, unconditional release. What does seem to be happening is an attempt to free certain internationally prominent figures, especially those frequently mentioned in diplomatic meetings or international reports. However, in several cases, the implicit or explicit condition has been exile, and many people are unwilling to accept that option,” the activist explains.

Rodríguez adds that international pressure “will continue to be important,” but affirms that it must be accompanied by mechanisms that directly protect the Cuban population. “Any strategy toward Cuba should prevent citizens from becoming even more unprotected or dependent on state control. Direct humanitarian aid, support for civil society, and direct assistance to vulnerable people are essential (without government mediation).”

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