Cuban political prisoner Tomás Ramos Rodríguez was released from the Combinado del Este prison in Havana on June 16, after completing almost 18 years of a 20-year sentence for the supposed crimes of "rebellion," "enemy propaganda" and "other acts against the security of the state," according to a report posted tonight at Payo Libre.
Ramos, 65, is in poor health; at one point, he was reported to be suffering from skin and nervous disorders, including Parkinson's Disease.
Citing the circumstances of his arrest, the Castro dictatorship has long classified Ramos as a "terrorist." He and another man were arrested in October 1990 after they had infiltrated the island as part of an insurrection campaign organized by exile groups in Miami.
More than 10 years ago, in the wake of Pope John Paul II's visit to the island, Ramos was reportedly about to be released and allowed to go into exile in Canada. But at the last moment, Canadian officials said he and four other Cubans set for release would not be allowed into the country.
The Payo Libre report, written by human rights activist and independent journalist Tania Maceda Guerra, did not say whether Ramos would seek to leave Cuba. He reportedly is now living in a Havana neighborhood.
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