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U.S. Pressures Cuba; Rubio Meets Pope Amid Prisoner Pardon

5/4/2026

29 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Washington has intensified pressure on Cuba since January by imposing an oil embargo and cutting aid.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Pope Leo XIV on May 7, with Cuba on the agenda.
In April, Cuba pardoned 2,010 detainees ahead of Easter as a gesture toward the United States.
President Donald Trump has called Pope Leo XIV “soft on crime” and “awful on foreign affairs,” sparking conservative Catholic backlash.

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Story summary

Washington has intensified pressure on Cuba since January by imposing an oil embargo and cutting aid.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet Pope Leo XIV on May 7, with Cuba on the agenda.
In April, Cuba pardoned 2,010 detainees ahead of Easter as a gesture toward the United States.
President Donald Trump has called Pope Leo XIV “soft on crime” and “awful on foreign affairs,” sparking conservative Catholic backlash.