Cuban MEPs and opponents ask that the EU-CELAC summit condemn dictatorship in Cuba

Deputies of the European Parliament and Cuban opponents asked the leaders of the European Union (EU) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), in Brussels, tocondemn the dictatorship in Cubafor the systematic violation of human rights.

Rosa María Payá, founder of the platform Cuba decide and daughter of the deceased Cuban oppositionist Oswaldo Payá, encouraged in a press conference the heads of State and Government of the EU to "promote and support" the resolutions approved by the European Parliament, which condemn the repression of human rights in Cuba, reported the agencyWHICH.

Payá affirmed that dictatorships only respond to pressure and condemned the presence of the Cuban ruler, Miguel Díaz-Canel, at the EU-CELAC summit, which ended this Tuesday in Brussels, Belgium, a fact that he considered "morally incomprehensible."

"Allowing Cuban repressors to become intermediaries between the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the EU places Europe at a great disadvantage," he said.

For his part, an activist from the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba, Erik Cartelle, urged the EU to implement individual sanctions against human rights violators and stated: "Those who commit repression need to know that there are consequences for their actions, as well Maybe they'll think twice."

He also asked the international community to support "the will of the Cubans in their fight for freedom" and, together with Payá, referred to the importance of understanding the role of the Cuban regime in the war in Ukraine, by supporting the government of the Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"The Cuban regime is the gateway for Russia and China in Latin America and is an ally of Vladimir Putin in the war of aggression against Ukraine," said Payá.

For this reason, Spanish MEP José Ramón Bauzá argued that the EU policy towards Cuba must be reviewed in order to strengthen the opposition and end the dictatorship.

Antonio López-Istúriz, also a Spaniard, from the PP, added that the Summit must include a condemnation of the dictatorial regimes of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, otherwise it will have failed.

Meanwhile, the Cuban leader has met with some of the main leaders of the EU, among them, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, to "ratify the willingness to continue strengthening the ties of cooperation with the UNHumanRights Office and the UN human rights mechanisms".

It was also reported that the Swedish Foreign Minister, Tobias Billström, asked the Swedish government that the EUpressure the Cuban regime to promote democracy on the island, and it is one of the reasons why there must be “a review of EU policy and the ADPC agreement, including EU aid to Cuba.”

The official acknowledged that the objectives for which the European Union approached the island's government have not been met, which exposes the ineffectiveness of the current agreement.

He also asked to guarantee the Cuban people their civil, political and economic freedoms and rights and the release of all political prisoners.