Foro Madrid urged Spain and the European Union for a significant policy change towards the Cuban regime, with measures ranging from linking relations with Havana to democratic progress to preventing European public funds from benefiting state-controlled structures and the Armed Forces.
The proposals are outlined in the report Cuba: a criminal regime sustained from abroad, in which the organization presents a strategy that combines political and economic pressure, advocacy for political prisoners, a review of international cooperation, and support for a potential democratic transition on the island.
Foro Madrid is an international political platform founded by the Disenso Foundation, associated with Vox and presided over by Santiago Abascal, which has maintained a critical stance towards the Cuban regime for years.
The document not only denounces the financial support that, according to the organization, Havana has received from Spain and Europe, but also discusses what Madrid and Brussels should do to change that relationship.
Condition the relations with Havana
One of the main proposals is that Spain cease to maintain a dialogue policy with the Cuban regime without conditions related to the political situation and human rights.
Foro Madrid demands that relations with Havana be linked to the release of political prisoners, the cessation of repression, and progress towards a democratic transition.
The organization also questions the policy followed by the European Union under the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between Cuba and the EU (ADPC).
The report highlights that the European Parliament has approved several resolutions criticizing the human rights situation in Cuba and argues that Brussels should utilize the mechanisms outlined in its agreements with Havana in light of the reported violations.
Prevent cooperation from strengthening the regime
Another of the changes demanded directly affects Spanish and European cooperation.
Foro Madrid maintains that the Cuban system allows the State to intervene in the channeling and execution of international projects, which is why it calls for the establishment of mechanisms to ensure that funds intended to help Cubans do not end up reinforcing governmental structures.
The organization proposes that humanitarian aid can directly reach the population through independent organizations and mentions, among other alternatives, the Catholic Church and civil society entities outside of state control.
According to the data collected in the report, in 2025 there were 80 projects funded by the European Union in Cuba with a total value of 155 million euros.
Foro Madrid believes that the issue should not be limited to how much money is allocated to Cuba, but also to who controls those resources and who ultimately benefits from them.
Cut public support for businesses related to GAESA
The report also pays special attention to the business relations with the Business Administration Group S.A. (GAESA), a conglomerate controlled by the Cuban Armed Forces and holding a dominant presence in key sectors of the economy.
The Madrid Forum suggests that Spain should stop using public funds to support investments or business operations linked to entities within the Cuban military framework.
The organization particularly questions whether certain businesses can benefit from Spanish mechanisms aimed at reducing the risk for companies operating abroad when the Cuban counterpart is owned by or linked to GAESA.
Their proposal seeks to prevent Spanish taxpayers' money from taking on risks associated with transactions involving companies controlled by the Cuban military leadership.
Measures Against Financial Movements of the Cuban Leadership
The recommendations beyond diplomatic and economic relations.
Foro Madrid suggests that Spain should avoid becoming a haven or space for financial operations of the Cuban regime's leaders and their circles, and calls for the use of available instruments against potential money laundering operations when there are indications that justify their application.
It also proposes strengthening cooperation among the police, the Civil Guard, judges, prosecutors, and intelligence services in the face of potential organized crime networks or financial movements linked to the interests of the Cuban regime.
These measures, according to the report's proposal, should be part of a broader Spanish policy aimed at increasing pressure on those who control Cuba's main political, military, and economic structures.
Spain in the face of a potential democratic transition in Cuba
Foro Madrid does not only propose measures of pressure. The document calls for Spain to prepare to play a significant role in a potential democratic transition in Cuba.
Due to its historical, cultural, economic, and human ties with the island, the organization believes that Spain should be in a position to contribute to the economic development and institutional rebuilding of a future democratic Cuba.
The proposal represents a significant shift from a policy focused on maintaining dialogue and cooperation with the current Cuban authorities.
The proposal from Foro Madrid comes at a time when Spanish politics regarding Cuba is gaining traction in the political debate.
The leader of the Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, recently stated that if he reaches the presidency of the Government, Spain must work alongside the United States to ensure that "prosperity and freedom reach Cuba".
The PP has also called for Spain to promote within the European Union the suspension of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement with Cuba.
Although the proposals from Foro Madrid do not constitute the official position of the Partido Popular nor represent a joint policy of the Spanish opposition, they align with a hardening of the rhetoric towards Havana within certain sectors of the Spanish right, particularly regarding the demand for democratic changes and the questioning of the current European relationship with the Cuban regime.
The report ultimately proposes that Spain and the EU transition from a policy fundamentally based on dialogue, cooperation, and economic relations to one that uses these instruments as levers to demand political freedoms, respect for human rights, and a democratic transition in Cuba.
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