In the midst of a visit from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) announcement to prosecute former leader Raúl Castro, the Cuban government has released another political prisoner.
According to USA Today, Sissi Abascal Zamora was released on May 14, 2026, after being imprisoned for nearly five years.
Zamora’s release comes a day after the news outlet additionally revealed audio recordings of an ultimatum given to two Cuban dissident artists, Maykel “Osorbo” Castillo Pérez and Luis Manuel Otero Alcañtara.
On Apr. 15, 2026, both artists were offered the choice to be exiled from the communist-led nation or stay in prison.
The ultimatum was presented five days after the U.S. and Cuba held secret talks, in which U.S. officials told the Cuban government that they had two weeks to release the dissenters “as a measure of goodwill.”
Despite the agreement, both artists remain imprisoned.
The Cuban Observatory of Human Rights released footage of Zamora hugging loved ones as she left La Bellotex women’s prison.
Zamora was sentenced to six years in prison for her participation in the July 11, 2021, protests in the Cuban town of Carlos Rojas, located in the Matanzas province.
Zamora, the youngest member of the Ladies in White movement, placed a sign on a bicycle with the words "Patria y Vida" [Homeland and Life] and participated in a demonstration alongside several commonfolk.
According to CiberCuba, Miami-based developer and Cuban exile Santiago Alvarez helped facilitate Zamora’s release. Alvarez, head of the Judicial Rescue Foundation, agreed to the Cuban government’s condition of exile for Zamora’s release.
Zamora’s release and the potential release of dozens of political prisoners are at the center of high-stakes negotiations between the U.S. and Cuba that could reshape the future relations between the two.
If talks end in an agreement, both nations could significantly expand trade and business ties and ease long-standing travel restrictions. If they fail, Cuba could become President Donald Trump’s next target in its series of military operations including Venezuela and Iran.
