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Alan Gross was an American contractor who was imprisoned in Cuba for nearly five years. He was arrested in December 2009 while working on a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) project aimed at promoting democracy in Cuba. The Cuban government considered his activities illegal and a threat to national sovereignty.1

Gross's detention became a significant point of contention in U.S.-Cuba relations. In December 2014, as part of a broader agreement to restore diplomatic relations, Cuba released Alan Gross, and the United States released three Cuban intelligence agents. This exchange was a crucial step in the thawing of relations between the two countries.12

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