The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, confirmed this Wednesday before the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg that the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) with Cuba is under review, during a thematic debate on political repression and the humanitarian situation on the island.
Kallas's statements were celebrated by the activist Carolina Barrero from the organization Citizenship and Freedom, as a direct confirmation of the advocacy work that Cuban civil society has undertaken over the years before European institutions.
Kallas was emphatic in acknowledging that the ADPC "has not yielded the expected results" after almost a decade in effect, and warned the Cuban regime that "today it is preferable to have a negotiated reform" rather than allowing the country to "collapse tomorrow."
The head of European diplomacy also urged Havana to put an end to the "uncompromising control over the economy" and to open up "to private initiative, investment, entrepreneurship, and economic modernization."
In the same debate, Kallas was adamant in stating that "the European Union does not fund the Cuban state" and that "humanitarian aid will not solve the crisis in Cuba, but rather will only alleviate immediate human suffering."
Ciudadanía y Libertad also disseminated a video clip in which Kallas agrees with those who say that "communism never works."
Barrero recalled that approximately a month before, she and Amelia Calzadilla traveled to Brussels to meet with senior European officials, including the Vice-President of the European Parliament Esteban González Pons, and that after those meetings they had published that the ADPC was in its "initial stages of review."
"At Ciudadanía y Libertad, we will continue to insist that this review cannot become a mere bureaucratic or cosmetic exercise. Europe today faces a substantive political decision: to continue legitimizing an authoritarian regime or to adopt a position consistent with democratic principles and human rights," Barrero wrote.
The journey to this point has been long. In January 2026, the European Parliament approved an amendment with 331 votes in favor to review and suspend the privileged cooperation with Cuba, citing Cuba's support for Russia and human rights violations.
On May 5th, opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer appeared before the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee and described Cuba as being in "the worst crisis in its modern history," categorizing the EU-Cuba agreement as "an aspirin for a terrible cancer."
The Spanish conservative MEP Gabriel Mato raised concerns during yesterday's debate about power outages and the "more than 1,200 political prisoners" in Cuba, stating that "the European Union should feel ashamed for maintaining an agreement" that "has not served at all to advance democracy."
The backdrop is a Cuba with blackouts of up to 30 hours a day and an energy crisis worsened by the interruption of Venezuelan crude oil supplies following the capture of Nicolás Maduro in January 2026.
Barrero emphasized that this May 20, Cuba's Republic Day, is also marked by the anticipation of a possible announcement regarding a legal process against Raúl Castro.
The definitive resolution of the European Parliament regarding Cuba, which could order the suspension of the ADPC, is scheduled to be voted on in the plenary session of June 2026.
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