CubaMinrex. Sitio del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Cuba

News Release by the Archbishopric of Havana

On the meeting held with the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Miguel Angel Moratinos, and the Cuba Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla.

Today, Wednesday July 7 at midday, Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino was received by Cuban President Raul Castro. The meeting was also attended by Spain’s Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos and Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla.

Hours before the meeting took place, Cardinal Ortega had held a joint working meeting with Ministers Moratinos and Rodriguez Parrilla.

Today´s meetings dealt with the process opened last May 19 when President Raul Castro Ruz received Cardinal Jaime Ortega and the president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba, Monsignor Dionisio Garcia Ibañez.

Up to date, the development of this process has allowed the release of one prisoner and the transfer of another twelve inmates to the provinces where they reside.

In the context of today’s meetings, and giving continuity to the aforementioned process, Cardinal Ortega was informed that over the next few hours another six prisoners will be transferred to their provinces of residence and that another five will be released and will be able to travel to Spain accompanied by their families.

The Cuban authorities also informed that the remaining 47 prisoners of the group arrested in 2003 will be released and will be able to leave the country. This process will conclude in a three-to-four-month period starting from now.

This process has taken into account the proposals previously expressed to Cardinal Ortega by the relatives of the inmates.

(Cubaminrex-Granma)

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