The former Spanish MEP Soraya Rodríguez acknowledged this Thursday, in an interview with Tania Costa, that Spain "is possibly not measuring up" to the historical and human ties that connect it to Cuba. She made this statement during a conversation where she discussed the role of Madrid and the European Union regarding the crisis on the island.
The statement came after Costa openly expressed the discontent of the Cuban community: "We are very hurt by Spain because we clearly see that it has not exercised the leadership we expected, as it has already met a couple of times with representatives of the regime."
Costa also pointed out that Spanish companies operated in Cuba while paying miserable salaries to Cuban workers. “They knew they were paying miserable salaries and they accepted it,” he stated, adding that those companies remained on the island until U.S. sanctions forced them to leave.
Rodríguez did not shy away from criticism. He acknowledged that Spanish companies—especially in the tourism sector—were fully aware of the conditions under which they operated, and he explained the reasoning behind the U.S. sanctions.
"I believe that Spanish companies are also well aware that any space they leave will be filled by American companies. All the sanctions from the United States are designed to push out European companies, including Spanish ones, and make room for American firms."
The Cuban state retained up to 90% of the salary paid in foreign currencies to workers in the tourism sector, providing them only with the equivalent in pesos. The large chains Meliá and Iberostar operated for years in hotels managed through GAESA, the military conglomerate that controls nearly half of the Cuban economy, with a joint investment of 465 million euros.
The exit was hastened following Executive Order 14404 by Donald Trump, signed on May 1, 2026, which imposed secondary sanctions on those doing business with GAESA. Iberostar abandoned 12 hotels on June 1, and Meliá announced the cessation in 15 establishments on June 3. According to data published by El País, Spanish investment in Cuba fell to just 442,230 euros in 2024 and to zero in 2025.
Beyond the business aspect, Rodríguez referred to the special connection that sets Spain apart from the rest of Europe. "We began this conversation talking about the Grandchildren's Law. We have ties that go beyond, that are different from the European ones, and yes, perhaps we are not measuring up."
That special responsibility, in his opinion, should translate into a political leadership that has so far been notably absent. The government of Pedro Sánchez held at least three rounds of high-level meetings with representatives of the regime between September 2024 and June 2025, including encounters between Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares and the Cuban Chancellor Bruno Rodríguez.
In that context, Rodríguez urged the EU to take a more active stance. "I believe that the European Union, in light of this situation, should not only not turn its back but should also play a leadership role."
The former MEP proposed a concrete roadmap. “A dialogue among all Cuban forces without intervention. The true democracies that emerge from a transition process are those created by the people themselves.”
For her part, the host drew the most painful comparison: "We are very struck by how different everything would be if we had received, if we were receiving from Europe, the support that Ukraine is receiving or has received all these years..."
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