Pope seeks release of Cubans arrests during 2021 protests

By ANDREA RODRIGUEZ
Associated Press

HAVANA (AP) — Pope Francis special envoy says the pontiff hopes Cuban authorities will release and grant amnesty to people arrested and sentenced following the historic protests that took place in 2021. Cardinal Beniamino Stella, who traveled to the island, said during an act at the University of Havana to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the visit of Pope John Paul II to the island, that Catholic Church hopes that Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and U.S. President Joe Biden can hold talks. Asked whether the Catholic Church could intercede to have Cuban authorities grant amnesty to people imprisoned during the 2021 protests, Stella said he had talked with the pontiff about the issue before he trip to Cuba.