Cuban dissident begins US exile after release from jail

Cuban dissident José Daniel Ferrer has begun his exile in the United States after being released from a Cuban jail. Ferrer, a prominent critic of the Cuban government, was imprisoned in 2019 on charges of assault, which he and human rights groups have denounced as politically motivated. The decision to release Ferrer came after a request from the US government, which has long advocated for the release of political prisoners in Cuba. Ferrer, who founded the opposition group Cuban Patriotic Union, has been a vocal critic of the Communist government's human rights record and has faced repeated arrests and detentions over the years. With his release and exile, Ferrer joins a growing number of Cuban dissidents who have been forced to leave the country in recent years. The move highlights the ongoing tensions between Cuba and the United States, which have remained strained despite efforts to improve relations during the Obama administration.