Cuba frees four dissidents as 'gift' to Obama: opposition

Cuba put four dissidents on a flight bound for the United States, an opposition member said today, calling their release "a gift" to US President Barack Obama.
The development comes days before Obama makes a historic visit to Cuba, a milestone in the political rapprochement between the former Cold War foes.
The four dissidents -- Niorvis Rivera, Aracelio Riviaux, Vladimir Morera and Jorge Ramirez -- previously had been released in 2014, only to be subsequently rearrested.
"They were taken out of their jails Tuesday and taken to the Combinado del Este prison in Havana, where they filled out their immigration paperwork and traveled the same day to the United States," Jose Daniel Ferrer, a dissident, told AFP.

A fifth dissident, Yohannes Arce, who was released in January 2015, is set to fly to the United States today, he said.
Ferrer, who is among a group of dissidents slated to meet the US president Tuesday in Havana, said the release was "like a gift for Obama."

The Roman Catholic Church had acted as a mediator in the releases, he said.
"This is a gift, a morally very controversial present," said Ferrer, who leads the banned Patriotic Union of Cuba. "The Cuban regime feels that the best thing it has to negotiate with are the political prisoners."
He said Rivera had not wanted to leave Cuba without his family members, but agreed to go after the government promised that they would follow in 10 to 15 days.

The four dissidents were among a group of 53 who were released in December 2014 after Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced their intention to restore relations severed more than 50 years ago.
The four were jailed again a year later.
Morera, who was on a hunger strike for more than 80 days last year, "is well and happy, although he is still suffering from the after-effects" of the prolonged fast, his son Vladier said.
"He had no idea that he would be freed or about the trip until the last minute, but he's already there," he said. "He's happy, and he told us that the family would reunite over there."

Cuba denies holding political prisoners, saying dissident arrests have been for common crimes.