In a televised address, US President Barack Obama announced that diplomatic relations would be reestablished with Cuba. Other measures will ease the blockade -which only Congress can lift- and financial and tourism restrictions. The remaining three imprisoned Cubans of the original Cuban 5 have been released. Cuban President Raul Castro welcomed the move and announced that US contractor Alan Gross, imprisoned in Cuba for illegal activities as part of Washington's regime change policies, a US spy, and several dozen counter-revolutionary prisoners would be freed.