Havana: Cardinal Beniamino Stella, who travelled to the island as the pontiff's special envoy, said Wednesday that the pope hopes Cuban authorities will release and grant amnesty to people who were detained and sentenced following the historic protests that occurred in 2021.

Cardinal Stella expressed the Catholic Church's desire for talks between Cuban President Miguel Daz-Canel and US President Joe Biden during an event at the University of Havana to mark the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's visit to the island.

Stella, who arrived in Cuba in the middle of January and will be there until February 10th, referred to Father Félix Varela and José Mart, who are both regarded as national heroes in Cuba, and stressed the importance of understanding among all people.

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When questioned by journalists about the likelihood that the Catholic Church could intervene to have Cuban authorities pardon those detained during the 2021 protests, the first in decades on the island, Stella responded that he had discussed the matter with the pontiff before his trip to Cuba.

The Church seeks, desires, and has made this proposal (amnesty) manifest, Stella said. "I believe the problem is in the open... Whether it is called amnesty or clemency, the words can be secondary; what matters is that the young people who once expressed their thoughts can return to their homes. The Pope very much wants there to be a positive response.

Aproximate 1,300 people were detained as a result of the protests, according to non-governmental organisations. One person was killed during some of the violent protests that included looting and rioting. According to the authorities, 700 sentences related to the demonstrations were handed down, with punishments ranging from a fine and community service to up to 30 years in prison for sedition.

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There were severe economic problems, shortages, and blackouts at the time of the protests. Human rights organisations and some governments, including Washington, have harshly criticised the island for what they see as Cubans' free protests being suppressed.

Havana claims that it did not repress its critics but rather only penalised unlawful behaviour such as rioting, vandalism, and sedition. The Catholic Church has political sway in Cuba and has previously successfully pleaded for the release of opposition leaders.

A group of opponents who had been detained since 2003 were freed in 2010 as a result of the Catholic Church and Spain's government mediating, and some of them made the decision to leave the nation.

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The Cuban government accused Florida-based anti-Castro organisations of encouraging riots during the 2021 protests via social media in the midst of a complicated economic situation brought on by the pandemic's paralysis and the escalation of US sanctions under the administration of then-President Donald Trump.