When Cuba announced in January it would begin releasing 553 political prisoners as a plan negotiated with the Vatican — which also included removing Cuba from the states sponsors of terrorism list — the U.S. based human rights organization Cubalex went straight to work.

In the absence of an official list of prisoners or announcements by the communist-run government, groups like Cubalex used a database put together years ago to contact relatives of prisoners on the island and be able to confirm who has been freed. 

The group, which monitors political prisoners on the island and has long been a source for news outlets and rights groups, felt the impact when the U.S. withheld $239 million in congressional appropriations to the nonprofit National Endowment for Democracy (NED) in late January. For instance, a two-year project that was supposed to launch in February to provide legal help for political prisoners and document human rights violations in Cuba was abruptly cancelled and Cubalex was forced to lay off 10 of their 26 staff.

“It has been a hard blow,” said Laritza Diversent, who founded Cubalex in 2010. She and 10 other members were forced into exile in 2017, she said, after being threatened with jail for their activism. “At first it was a profound shock … but I’m determined to forge ahead.”

Pro-democracy groups that monitor prisoners in Cuba have had their funding cut at a critical time, as the Trump administration continues to withhold tens of millions of dollars in funding from NED, which has longstanding bipartisan support to promote democracy overseas. Recently, following a lawsuit against the U.S. government, part of the funds were restored. But many projects on Cuba have been  hard-hit. The funds cuts have sent shock waves among the small groups that depend on NED, and for years have been the sole providers of information about the circumstances surrounding political prisoners, including their health conditions.

Another organization that tracks political prisoners in Cuba with staff in the U.S. and overseas said the elimination of NED funds has had a “strong impact” on the group. The founder spoke on condition of anonymity because they collaborate with activists on the island who are often targets of the government. In recent weeks, the group held a meeting and announced there were no longer funds available to continue working. Three of the 12 staffers are now helping on a voluntary basis.

“I’m frustrated and afraid, but I’m trying not to let those feelings take over,” the founder said. “It’s like I’m starting all over again. I’m going to continue dedicating time and energy to the organization because I can’t allow everything we’ve done to die.”

A NED employee who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly said that while NED recently regained partial access to its congressionally appropriated funds, operations on the island have not been able to resume completely. 

The employee said NED is in the process of resuming the disbursement of grants to the extent possible under current constraints.

José Daniel Ferrer, one of the best-known dissidents and human rights activists in Cuba, has called for donations for political prisoners on social media. He was released from prison in January as part of the Biden administration’s plan to release 553 prisoners. Like the others, he was arrested on July 11, 2021, as he was on his way to join historic, islandwide protests.

 Ferrer asked for Cuban exiles to donate money to cover costs associated with cellphone usage, so “political prisoners can communicate with their relatives who receive the calls on their mobiles.” 

A State Department spokesperson said, “As we continue to review federal assistance programs, we will identify how to best align U.S. government resources to support the Administration’s priorities.” 

 “Those who repress their own people and plunder resources for their own gain will be accountable for their actions,” the spokesperson said.  

Cuba’s government did not respond to a request for comment. But the island’s government has long accused the U.S. of funding activists on the island as an attempt at regime change. Government officials have labeled dissidents who receive U.S. funding, whether from NED or the U.S. Agency for International Development, as “mercenaries.”

Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez recently posted on X that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has “mutated from being the main instigator, political blackmailer, and lobbyist … in favor of #USAID funds and the State Department for subversion in #Cuba, to cutting those budgets and defending an alien foreign policy.”

Rubio, who is of Cuban descent, has always advocated a hard-line policy against the Cuban government. As secretary of state, he has taken steps to restrict visa issuance to those involved in Cuba’s international medical program, as an example.

“We will promote accountability for the Cuban regime for oppressing its people and those who profit from it,” he wrote on X. Rubio has not publicly commented on NED or USAID cuts to Cuban human rights groups.