Overview

• Ferrer was transferred from Mar Verde prison to Santiago de Cuba’s airport, reunited with relatives, and departed before noon with family members bound for Florida.
• In a letter from prison this month, he alleged beatings, torture, humiliation and threats, saying he accepted exile to protect his wife and young son.
• Cuba’s Attorney General’s Office said his custodial terms were modified so the exit complied with domestic law and the constitution.
• U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Ferrer’s arrival and called for the release of more than 700 people the U.S. considers political prisoners.
• The longtime UNPACU leader’s removal from the island is widely seen as a setback for organized dissent as Cuba faces deep economic strain and mass emigration.