Cuba frees 2,900 prisoners ahead of Pope Benedict's visit - Polidicks

[release]Cuba will release 2,900 prisoners ahead of a visit next spring by Pope Benedict XVI, the Cuban government reportedly said Friday, [b]citing humanitarian reasons.[/b] President Raul Castro called the move was a goodwill gesture prompted by appeals from relatives of the prisoners —[b] many of them unwell, women or elderly — and religious institutions, the BBC reported.[/b] Castro, in a speech to the National Assembly, also said he had "taken into account" the upcoming papal visit, Reuters reported. Top Roman Catholic Church officials in Cuba had reportedly been among those requesting the release of prisoners. Castro reportedly said the amnesty demonstrated the "generosity and strength" of the Cuban revolution. However American Alan Gross, who according to Reuters is "serving 15 years in prison for setting up Internet equipment on the island under a secretive U.S. program in a case that stalled progress in US-Cuba relations," will reportedly not be released, despite his case being a sticking point in Havana-Washington relations.[/release] [url=http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/cuba/111223/cuba-prisoner-release-raul-castro-pope-benedict-xvi-havana-alan-gross]Source[/url] Even the prisoners can be home for Christmas. :unsmith:

[quote] Castro reportedly said the amnesty demonstrated the "generosity and strength" of the Cuban revolution.[/quote] [quote]the "generosity and strength" [/quote] [quote]generosity[/quote] :v:

[QUOTE=Strongbad;33883138]:v:[/QUOTE] Funny how america leads the world in prisoners per capita.

[QUOTE=NoDachi;33883282]Funny how america leads the world in prisoners per capita.[/QUOTE] That's because we have a messed up institution where instead of teaching these people how to live better, they learn how to become horrific criminals even if all they did was steal from a store.

Whoa whoa whoa whoa. Wait a minute. The Pope visits Cuba? Never knew he really left the Vatican, to be honest. themoreyouknow.jpg

[QUOTE=Stonecycle;33883537]Whoa whoa whoa whoa. Wait a minute. The Pope visits Cuba? Never knew he really left the Vatican, to be honest. themoreyouknow.jpg[/QUOTE] well you can't expect the kids to go to him, now can you?

[QUOTE=NoDachi;33883282]Funny how america leads the world in prisoners per capita.[/QUOTE] At least we weren't a dictatorship.

[QUOTE=A B.A. Survivor;33883606]At least we weren't a dictatorship.[/QUOTE] Oh that's okay then

[QUOTE=A B.A. Survivor;33883606]At least we weren't a dictatorship.[/QUOTE] we're getting there.

[QUOTE=NoDachi;33883282]Funny how america leads the world in prisoners per capita.[/QUOTE] Leave it to FP to bring Nationalism into something that has absolutely nothing to do with the topic at hand. :rolleyes:

[QUOTE=NoDachi;33883282]Funny how america leads the world in prisoners per capita.[/QUOTE] How the fuck does this relate to what he said?

[QUOTE=toaster468;33885425]How the fuck does this relate to what he said?[/QUOTE] People can't resist calling America shit at any given chance.

[QUOTE=JCDentonUNATCO;33885619]People can't resist calling America shit at any given chance.[/QUOTE] I would gladly spend days bitching about how shit Czech Republic is, but very few know about that here, and it's not as fun in Czech.

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;33891613]I would gladly spend days bitching about how shit Czech Republic is, but very few know about that here, and it's not as fun in Czech.[/QUOTE] But the vodka here is so fucking cheap!

[QUOTE=A B.A. Survivor;33883606]At least we weren't a dictatorship.[/QUOTE] Violent authority Two parties only Planned surveillance of the internet You're getting close :v:

[QUOTE=Ganerumo;33892151]Violent authority Two parties only Planned surveillance of the internet You're getting close :v:[/QUOTE] Technically,they're already there

[QUOTE=Scarbo;33891986]But the vodka here is so fucking cheap![/QUOTE] Not as cheap as in Russia.

[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;33891613]I would gladly spend days bitching about how shit Czech Republic is, but very few know about that here, and it's not as fun in Czech.[/QUOTE] Kurva kurva vsechno jde do hajzlu? But nah, it's not as bad some people make it out to be. And you can have a positive life outlook as long as you manage to avoid certain news sites, which tend to filled with reddies. (novinky.cz ach jo jak nekdo muze byt tak blby :() And it's nice to see cuba slowly opening up over the years. They've made massive headway in the past five.

[QUOTE=NoDachi;33883282]Funny how america leads the world in prisoners per capita.[/QUOTE] Didn't Cuba dump a shipload of prisoners in America?

[QUOTE=wraithcat;33892447]Kurva kurva vsechno jde do hajzlu? But nah, it's not as bad some people make it out to be. And you can have a positive life outlook as long as you manage to avoid certain news sites, which tend to filled with reddies. (novinky.cz ach jo jak nekdo muze byt tak blby :() And it's nice to see cuba slowly opening up over the years. They've made massive headway in the past five.[/QUOTE] Havel to zabalil. Tahle zeme se nedozije 2013. To be completely honest, I don't feel too much inclination to support the rightists over left. KSCM are truly ridiculous, but CSSD lately seem the lesser evil than ODS and TOP9. The keep pissing me to no end. CSSD might be pretty horrible, but since Paroubek left, it just doesn't seem as horrible as the rest. To be honest, I sorta hope they win the next election, even if it has to be in coalition with the actual commies.

[QUOTE=JCDentonUNATCO;33885619]People can't resist calling America shit at any given chance.[/QUOTE] I knock down any stupid exceptionalism. Drop the persecution complex.