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A German cooperative bank that presents itself as "social and ecological" has decided to close all accounts of the German Communist Party (DKP) as of December 31, a move that the party considers directly related to its support for solidarity projects in Cuba, according to the newspapers Junge Welt and Die Tageszeitung (taz).
According to Junge Welt, the financial institution GLS-Bank, based in Bochum, has informed the DKP of the cancellation of all its accounts, including the national party accounts and those of over a dozen regional organizations, citing general clauses in their contracts that allow for termination without providing explanations.
The party's leadership reported the incident as a case of debanking, a practice that is becoming increasingly common against political and social organizations deemed “uncomfortable.”
Although the bank did not provide a specific justification, the DKP has stated that the decision is related to donations intended for solidarity projects with Cuba.
According to what the federal treasurer of the party, Klaus Leger, explained to Junge Welt, in September GLS-Bank requested detailed information about a donation campaign for the island, inquiring whether the funds were intended for Cuban state institutions and how they were reaching the country.
After answering those questions, the party did not receive any further communication until, weeks later, the notification of account closure arrived.
The bank's statement only indicates that the measure is in response to "legal and regulatory requirements" and that there is no political motivation behind the decision. However, the entity declined to specify what those regulations are or which specific operations may have raised concerns.
The newspaper Die Tageszeitung emphasizes that the case has raised concerns among organizations supporting Cuba in Germany. Several of them maintain accounts with the same institution and fear that their financial transactions could also be blocked.
The president of Netzwerk Cuba, Edgar Göll, reminded that many European banking institutions avoid any connection with the island for fear of U.S. sanctions, a policy that has led to what experts call over-compliance, meaning excessive adherence to regulations to mitigate risks.
That fear is not unfounded. Die Tageszeitung reminds us that banks like BNP Paribas and Commerzbank have paid multimillion-dollar fines in the past for operations related to Cuba, under the U.S. embargo in place since 1960.
In that context, direct transfers to the island have become extremely difficult, forcing solidarity organizations to resort to direct cash delivery or the shipment of material aid.
The DKP claims to have acted within the legal framework. According to Leger, the donations were personally delivered to Cuba by party members, always adhering to the limits established by European regulations against money laundering. Among the supported projects is the Rosa Luxemburgo hospital in Matanzas, where a photovoltaic installation was funded to ensure electricity supply.
For the communist leadership, the closure of accounts is not an isolated event. The party president, Patrik Köbele, described the decision as "scandalous" and linked it to an increasingly hostile political climate towards international solidarity with Cuba. Meanwhile, the party is not ruling out legal actions and is exploring banking alternatives to continue its activities.
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