14 July 2010 Last updated at 12:28 ET

Two more Cuban dissidents arrive in Spain

The dissidents are among 20 who have indicated a desire to come to Spain

Two more Cuban dissidents have landed in Spain, a day after the first group arrived as part of the planned release of 52 political prisoners.

Journalists Normando Hernandez and Omar Rodriguez arrived at Madrid airport, along with several family members. Two others are due on Thursday.

Cuba agreed last week to release the 52 dissidents after the intercession of Spain and the Catholic Church.

They were jailed in a crackdown in 2003 which triggered EU sanctions.

Cuba came under international pressure to free them after a jailed dissident starved himself to death earlier this year to draw attention to their plight.

The seven men who arrived on Tuesday said their exile was a "continuation of the struggle".

They also spoke about feeling dazed by the sudden developments, with some arriving with just a few suitcases or in one case with no change of clothes.

Lester Gonzalez told the Associated Press that he did not sleep at all.

Being in Madrid hotel, he said, felt "like I'm in a place where I'm dreaming".

"We have to learn to live in freedom," said Julio Cesar Galvez.

Exact terms

It is expected that about 20 dissidents in total will come to Spain.

However, several have indicated that they are unwilling to leave Cuba.

It is difficult to know the exact terms of the discussions between the Cuban government, the Church and the Spanish foreign minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, that led to the agreement to free the 52, says BBC Mundo correspondent Fernando Ravsberg.

However, it is very unlikely that some of the prisoners will remain in jail for refusing to leave the country and there is little doubt among Cubans that all 52 will be freed, he says.

Cuba has always denied that it has political prisoners, describing them as criminals paid by the US to destabilise the country.