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Spanish MEP Hermann Tertsch (VOX/Patriots for Europe) mocked the low turnout at a demonstration in support of the Cuban regime held outside the European Parliament in Brussels on Wednesday, just before a crucial vote on relations between the European Union and Havana.
Through a message posted on the social network X, Tertsch mocked the low turnout at the demonstration, which was promoted by organizations affiliated with the Cuban government.
"Where have the mass gatherings of communists organized by the Cuban regime's embassy in European capitals gone!" wrote the MEP. "Today, there are just a few sad souls in front of the European Parliament whining because the days of the dictatorship are numbered and because next Thursday a resolution from the Europarliament will demand an end to the infamous agreement between Brussels and Havana, as well as European subsidies to the tyranny."
The Spanish politician also criticized the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), stating that "as soon as the PSOE members are focused on something else, the defenders of the communist dictatorship are just four charos and a drum."
The gathering took place in Luxembourg Square in Brussels under the slogan "Europe Wake Up / Let Cuba Breathe" and was called by the Cuban Embassy in Belgium and in front of the European Union, together with various solidarity organizations and left-wing political groups, including the Latin American Solidarity Coordinator in Belgium, the PVDA/PTB party, Cubanismo.be, and the FGTB trade union.
The participants displayed Cuban flags and banners with slogans such as "#UNBLOCK CUBA," "LET CUBA BREATHE," and "FIDEL DEFEATED THE EMPIRE." The organizers justified the mobilization as a protest against U.S. sanctions and what they described as an aggressive policy from Washington towards Cuba.
The call coincided with the debate held this Wednesday in the European Parliament on the situation of human rights and the humanitarian crisis on the island, a session that included the participation of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas.
The issue becomes particularly relevant because this Thursday the European Parliament will vote on a resolution that could significantly toughen the bloc's stance towards the Cuban regime.
The initiative, primarily supported by the group Patriots for Europe, of which Tertsch is a member, calls for the suspension of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and Cuba, the cessation of European subsidies to the regime, and the release of Cuban political prisoners.
The vote comes after months of increasing pressure within European institutions. In January 2026, the European Parliament approved an amendment that called for a review and suspension of the privileged cooperation with Havana, supported by 331 Members of the European Parliament. Subsequently, in May, Kaja Kallas confirmed that the agreement was under review due to the lack of progress in human rights.
The position contrasts with that defended by the participants in the rally in Brussels. While solidarity organizations call for maintaining cooperation with Cuba and reject international sanctions, figures from the Cuban opposition have publicly urged the European Union to adopt a firmer stance against the regime.
Among them is José Daniel Ferrer, who thanked in May for the support of the European Parliament for the initiatives aimed at reviewing the agreement signed with Havana.
The Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and Cuba was signed in December 2016 and began provisional application in November 2017. The text includes a clause on human rights that allows for the total or partial suspension of the agreement in cases of serious non-compliance, a provision that the most critical sectors regarding the Cuban regime in the European Parliament have been calling for activation for months.
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