US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on Cuba to release more than 700 political prisoners, shortly after a well-known Cuban dissident artist arrived in the United States following five years in prison.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Rubio confirmed that Cuban artist and activist Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara had arrived in Miami after serving a lengthy prison sentence.
Welcoming his arrival, the US secretary of state renewed Washington’s criticism of Cuba’s human rights record and urged the authorities in Havana to free those it says remain behind bars for political reasons.
Rubio said the United States was calling for the immediate release of more than 700 people it described as political prisoners who had been detained by the Cuban government.
He also asked to governments and international organisations to take a stronger position on the issue, saying the wider international community should not ignore allegations of human rights abuses in Cuba.
The comments are likely to add to longstanding tensions between Washington and Havana, where disagreements over political freedoms and civil liberties have remained a central point of dispute for decades.
Cuban authorities have consistently rejected accusations that they imprison people for their political beliefs, arguing that individuals detained by the state have been prosecuted for violating the country’s laws rather than for expressing political views.
The latest appeal from the United States comes as international attention remains focused on Cuba’s human rights situation and the treatment of government critics.
