The Cuban activist Carolina Barrero Ferrer urged the European Union (EU) to adopt a more consistent and firm stance against the Cuban regime, which she accuses of being a strategic ally of Russia in Latin America.
In a recent interview with the German channel Deutsche Welle, Barrero criticized the EU's complicity with the Cuban government, pointing out that this stance contradicts the values of freedom and democracy that Europe upholds in other contexts, such as in the case of Ukraine.
"What we ask of Europe is coherence. It's very simple: if Europe is in the midst of a war where values like freedom and democracy are defended, and Ukraine is being supported, one cannot be condescending towards a dictatorship that is the most important strategic ally of Vladimir Putin in Latin America, which sends mercenaries to Ukraine…," the activist stated.
Barrero, an art historian and cultural promoter, is a prominent figure in the 27N movement, which emerged in 2020 to denounce the repression against artists and the lack of freedoms in Cuba. She currently leads the independent human rights organization ‘Ciudadanía y Libertad’.
"The EU grants [the Cuban regime] that diplomatic legitimacy and the ability to have bank accounts in all countries because they do not want to see the reality. They believe that Cuba is not a totalitarian dictatorship, that it might be a democracy with certain effects that they can change incrementally through political dialogue. And that is a mistake. They do not realize the kind of interlocutor they are engaging with. They forget their past," he added.
However, a different perspective persists from the European institutions. The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security, Kaja Kallas recently advocated for the continuation of the political dialogue and cooperation agreement with Cuba, in effect since 2016.
During a debate in the European Parliament, Kallas assured that this framework allows for addressing sensitive issues such as the situation of political prisoners and denied that the EU funds the Cuban regime, highlighting that the funds are channeled through NGOs and United Nations agencies.
"No we are not supporting the regime," he stated, emphasizing that the dialogue with Cuba is aligned with a strategic approach based on shared values and interests, even in complex geopolitical contexts. This is precisely the mistake pointed out by Barrero.
After being detained and threatened multiple times by the Cuban dictatorship, Barrero exiled herself to Spain in 2021, where she continues her work in defense of human rights and promotion of democracy.
In her statements, the activist warned about the involvement of Cuban citizens in the conflict in Ukraine, mentioning a report from Ukrainian intelligence that estimates up to 20,000 Cubans sent as mercenaries by the Havana regime.
Additionally, she reported that Cuba is helping Russia evade international sanctions, taking advantage of the lack of restrictions from the EU toward the government of Miguel Díaz-Canel, which allows it to maintain diplomatic and financial relations with European countries.
Barrero questioned the mistaken perception of some European countries that see Cuba as a democracy with flaws, when in reality it is a totalitarian dictatorship.
In that regard, he lamented that nations like Germany, with a history marked by communism, do not see in Cuba a reflection of their own past and betray their memory by being condescending toward an authoritarian regime.
"I sometimes wonder why countries like Germany have betrayed their memory of totalitarianism and communism, when they fail to see in Cuba the reflection of what they once were. And what we are asking for is coherence, to act with coherence and determination, because they are being condescending towards their enemy," pointed out the historian.
Barrero has held meetings with EU representatives, such as the Special Envoy for Human Rights, Eamon Gilmore, to whom she presented the situation of political prisoners on the island. She has also called for individual sanctions against the leadership of the Communist Party of Cuba and has denounced the systematic repression of dissent.
For her vigorous and insightful activism, Barrero has been awarded the Sájarov Prize by the European Parliament and continues to advocate for a free and democratic Cuba.
His call for the EU to be coherent highlights the necessity for Europe to respond firmly to human rights violations on the island and not to legitimize a regime that represses its people and collaborates with authoritarian and imperialist powers like Russia.
Full interview
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