The European Union has initiated a review process of the Agreement with Cuba that is not yet public, but is ongoing with unsatisfactory responses from the regime, as revealed on Monday by the Cuban human rights organization Ciudadanía y Libertad following meetings held this week in Brussels.
The revelation, shared on the social network X by Ciudadanía y Libertad, stems from meetings held in the European capital, where its directors, Carolina Barrero and Amelia Calzadilla, met with officials from European institutions to discuss the status of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (ADPC) with Cuba.
According to repeated reports from activists and representatives of Cuban civil society, reiterated by Barrero and Calzadilla in Brussels, the ten years of implementing the ADPC have not resulted in the improvements in human rights that justified its signing.
For Barrero, the need to push for a change in European policy towards Cuba has become more urgent in light of the severe deterioration of living conditions in Cuba and the regime's explicit determination to cling to power without altering its violations of the civil and political rights and freedoms of Cubans.
From Citizenship and Freedom warn that any revision of the agreement must be substantive and not a cosmetic exercise that perpetuates the regime's impunity against its systematic violations of human rights.
Among the arguments presented to European institutions is the participation of Cuban citizens in the conflict in Ukraine. According to data gathered by civil society organizations, at least 1,076 Cuban citizens have fought in the ranks of the Russian forces, which adds a geopolitical dimension to the pressure for revising the relationship between the EU and Havana.
The European institutional context has also evolved in recent months. The European Parliament took a significant step when it formally recognized Cuba as a dictatorship, in an amendment to a resolution that strengthens the arguments of those calling for a thorough review of the cooperation agreement.
The amendment was approved with 331 votes in favor, 241 against, and 63 abstentions, reflecting a significant majority within the European chamber in favor of adopting a tougher stance towards the Cuban government.
However, experts warn that the effective suspension of the agreement requires a formal decision by the Council of the European Union, which entails a more complex political process that goes beyond parliamentary statements.
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