Cuba on Wednesday began releasing prisoners jailed following anti-government protests in 2021, making good on a deal with the Catholic Church that prompted the Biden administration to say it would loosen sanctions on the communist-run nation.

The decision is likely to be reversed by the incoming Trump administration. Sen. Marco Rubio, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state whose family fled Cuba in the 1950s, supports strong sanctions on Havana's Communist regime.

Cuba said it will release 553 political prisoners after the Biden administration announced Tuesday it is removing Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism and taking other “goodwill” actions.