Cuba Frees 2000 Prisoners, Families Reunite

0:00It's April 3rd. Welcome in. This is Global News Today, where the world meets AI. I'm Corey with the story. Cuba's government just dropped a major move, framed 2010 prisoners in one of the biggest releases in years. Families gathered outside of Havana Prison early Friday. Hearts pounding as loved ones walked out with bags and papers, hugging tight after long. Separations. Officials called it a humanitarian gesture ahead of Holy Week. This comes amid Cuba's brutal economic crunch, blackouts everywhere, and tough US sanctions tightening the oil squeeze under Trump. A Russian fuel ship got to pass this week, for some relief, with another on the way, but tensions stay sky high. Moms like 43-year-old Kataya Arias broke down in tears, calling it pure joy from above after years apart from her 20-year-old son, Lot. Up for robbery. Women's cheer guys like 20-year-old Damian Farinha's fresh out after two years, tasting real freedom.

1:01Most released serve time for regular crimes like robbery, not politics, though activist track over 1,000 political cases from 20. 21 protests. Human rights groups applaud the family relief, but slam it as no real fix, demanding full amnesty, since no one's confirmed as a protestor yet. Prison scenes overflowed with hope. Times wrapped around kids and kin, but opposition leaders warn it's just mixing signals to dodge admitting, political prisons exist. As Cuba navigates this pressure cooker, these reunions spark a flicker of light in the ongoing struggle.