Cuba will free 2,010 prisoners as part of a "humanitarian and sovereign gesture," it announced on Thursday, as it faces continued political pressure from the US.

Those freed will include foreign nationals, young people, women and those aged over 60, a  statement from the Cuban embassy in the US said.

It said the release was taking place "in the context of the religious celebrations of Holy Week, which is a customary practice in our criminal justice system".

Since returning to the White House, US President Donald Trump has made clear his desire to change Cuba's leadership and has implemented an oil blockade, causing severe fuel shortages and widespread blackouts across the country.

Last week, a Russian-owned tanker carrying an estimated 730,000 barrels of crude oil became the first crude oil shipment to dock in one of Cuba's ports since early January.

Cuba holds hundreds of political prisoners behind bars, according to Human Rights Watch, with government critics subject to harassment and criminal prosecution.

Eligibility for the release was based on "a careful analysis" of offences, along with "their good conduct while in prison, the fact that they had served a significant portion of their sentences, and their state of health," the embassy statement added.

It is the second time this year that Cuba has announced a prisoner release. In March, 51 prisoners were set free after talks with the Vatican. In 2025, Cuba released 553 people in a deal brokered by the Vatican and the US.

The White House says it is making the entire region safer by eliminating short and long-term threats.

He will replace Randy George, who was asked to step down from his post by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Bondi's time as top US law enforcement officer was overshadowed by her handling of the Epstein files.

Experts say many US presidents have offered a timeline for a conflict - only to then shift their estimates.

Conflict has spread across the Middle East since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on 28 February.