Two more prisoner releases

Cuba’s Catholic church announced this morning that two more prisoners are to be released – one “who wishes to remain in Cuba” and another who has “expressed a wish to go to the United States.” They are the second and third of the eleven political prisoners jailed in 2003 who refused offers to go to Spain (see full list at Uncommon Sense). The first, Arnaldo Ramos Lauzurique, was freed last November 14 and remains in Cuba.

ARZOBISPADO DE LA HABANA

NOTA DE PRENSA

En continuidad con el proceso de liberación de prisioneros, se informa que otros dos (2) serán excarcelados próximamente. Ellos son:

1- ÁNGEL JUAN MOYA ACOSTA, quien desea permanecer en Cuba, y

2- GUIDO SIGLER AMAYA, quien ha manifestado que desea trasladarse a los Estados Unidos.

Orlando Márquez Hidalgo

La Habana, 4 de febrero de 2011

Earlier comment on the prisoner releases here. AP story here.

Odds and ends

• AFP reports on Cuba’s role in the release of hostages held by Colombia’s FARC guerrillas; the Cuban ambassador to Venezuela was on the Venezuelan aircraft that entered Colombia to pick up the hostages. And in this Reuters report, Colombian officials and others speculate that the capture of a top ELN guerrilla leader may help to advance peace talks between the government and that group. Those talks have taken place in Havana, so far without result.

• From the St. Petersburg Times, more on the challenge to the Florida law restricting academic travel.

• In Toronto, a worthy charity in trouble: Not Just Tourists, a group that organizes delivery of suitcases full of medical supplies carried by Canadian tourists.

• Cardinal Ortega on the Church’s mission in Cuba. And the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, is preparing a visit to Cuba next month.