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Mariela Castro Espín, director of the National Center for Sexual Education (Cenesex) and daughter of Raúl Castro, took advantage of the press conference for the Cuban Days Against Homophobia and Transphobia to turn the LGBTQ+ cause into a tool for defending the regime and attacking the United States, according to statements reported by the official newspaper Trabajadores.
At the event held on Wednesday at the Cenesex headquarters in Havana, Castro Espín stated that "LGBTQ+ activism in Cuba today advocates for the island's right to exist and defend itself against external aggressions, particularly from the United States and its hybrid war," placing the struggle for diversity within the framework of national sovereignty.
The speech follows a consolidated pattern: in 2021, Cenesex already blamed the lack of progress in sexual rights on U.S. policy. This same narrative is being repeated now in the 19th edition of the Conferences.
Castro Espín noted that the "global rollback" in minority rights affects countries like the United States and Argentina, while Cuba positions itself, according to her, as "an international vanguard in the protection of the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, establishing itself as a positive reference."
The official acknowledged that the movement operates under "economic limitations and uncertainty," but asserted that the State and the Party maintain "austerity financing" for these activities as an "irrevocable political and ideological commitment."
This rhetoric contrasts with the documented reality: human rights organizations indicate that gender reassignment surgeries have been halted for years in the Cuban public system due to a lack of resources.
The history of repression against independent LGBTQ+ activism also contradicts the official narrative. In May 2019, when Cenesex canceled the official Conga, activists organized their own march and were repressed by the Ministry of the Interior, resulting in at least six arrests.
In the press conference, Castro Espín also announced that this year Artemisa is a shared host of the Workshops, precisely because it received a less favorable vote in the 2022 Family Code referendum, making it a "priority target for educational work."
Among the scheduled activities are the Cuban Gala at the Teatro América, held this afternoon at 5:00 PM with the presentation of the Cenesex awards, and the traditional Conga and Diversity Festival planned for Sunday, May 17, International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia, concluding at the Pabellón Cuba.
It was also announced that a collaboration agreement between Cenesex and the Ministry of Justice will be established to address cases of LGBTQ+ rights violations, as well as an upcoming meeting with the Ministry of the Interior to raise awareness about the treatment of individuals from this community in criminal proceedings.
Castro Espín concluded his speech with a phrase that encapsulates the political tone of the entire day: "The events will take place even if it’s underground, because the commitment of the Cuban state to diversity is unbreakable," referring to what he described as threats of military aggression from the United States against Cuba.
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