Havana (AP) — Prominent Cuban dissident José Daniel Ferrer left the island Monday for exile in the U.S. at the request of the U.S. government, Cuban and U.S. authorities confirmed.

The general director of bilateral relations for the Cuban Foreign Ministry, Alejandro García, told The Associated Press that Ferrer, 55, departed before noon from his hometown Santiago in eastern Cuba en route to Florida.

“He leaves the country due to a request made by the U.S. government to the Cuban government, which (Ferrer) is in agreement with,” García said.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Ferrer’s arrival on Monday “after suffering years of abuse, torture, and threats to his life in Cuba,” he said in a statement.

Ferrer gained international acclaim as part of a group of 75 opposition figu

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