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The decision to allocate European funds for the digitization of the Cuban state has sparked significant political controversy in Eastern Europe. In Estonia, the debate reached the Parliament and the Government this week after a plan funded by the European Union was revealed to invest 441,000 euros in digital equipment intended for Cuba, a country ruled by a communist regime noted for systematic human rights violations.
According to ERR News, the project, backed by the Estonian Academy of E-Governance, sparked a heated debate in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu, where several lawmakers openly questioned whether this type of support genuinely benefits the Cuban people or, on the contrary, strengthens the state apparatus of the regime.
Deputy Marko Mihkelson, chairman of that committee and a member of the Reform Party, was one of the most critical voices. In the parliamentarian's view, it is unacceptable to shelter behind decisions made in 2016, when the European Union adopted its current policy towards Cuba, without taking into account the radical change in the international context following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Mihkelson emphasized that Havana has actively supported Moscow and went so far as to compare the Cuban regime to other authoritarian allies of Russia, such as North Korea or Iran.
"The impact aimed for with this project would not benefit the Cuban people, but the regime," the deputy stated, while expressing doubts that the state's digitization would contribute to opening up society or improving citizens' actual access to public services.
The controversy escalated further when Estonia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Margus Tsahkna, announced that his country will formally request the European Union to review its policy towards Cuba and increase pressure on the government of Havana.
According to ERR News, the chancellor recalled that Estonia has already changed its stance at the United Nations and has ceased to support resolutions calling for the lifting of the embargo, citing reasons such as the repression following the protests of July 11, 2021, and the restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly.
Tsahkna also pointed out that the Cuban regime has intensified its cooperation with Russia and Belarus, even in defense matters, an element that, in his opinion, should carry more weight in the decisions made by Brussels. The minister indicated that he would bring the topic to the EU foreign ministers' meeting scheduled for the end of January.
The background of this discussion directly connects with Spain, one of the main supporters of the “Cuba Digital” project. The Spanish government is allocating 2.3 million euros to this EU-funded initiative aimed at creating a new data center and modernizing the technological infrastructure of the Cuban state.
From Havana, the official discourse presents digitalization as a benefit for citizens, but critics both inside and outside Europe warn of the risk of reinforcing the regime's control and surveillance mechanisms.
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