The European Parliament approved an urgent resolution this Thursday demanding the immediate release of the Cuban opposition figure Félix Navarro, 73, and his daughter Saylí Navarro, and calling for the suspension of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and Cuba if the regime does not take steps towards multiparty democracy.
The resolution was adopted with 374 votes in favor, 198 against, and 19 abstentions, following a plenary debate held on Wednesday in Strasbourg. It represents the strongest statement of the three that the European Parliament has issued regarding Cuba in less than a year.
The text condemns the systematic violations of human rights committed by the Cuban regime against political prisoners and their families, placing the case of the Navarros at the center of the denunciation.
Father and daughter were arrested on July 11, 2021, in Matanzas when they went to a police station to inquire about other activists detained during the massive anti-government protests of July 11.
They were sentenced to nine and eight years in prison, respectively, on charges of "public disorder, assault, and contempt". Amnesty International declared them prisoners of conscience in October 2024.
Félix is serving his sentence in the maximum-security prison of Agüica. He was conditionally released in January 2025 as part of an agreement negotiated with the involvement of the Vatican and the U.S. government, but he was re-arrested on April 29 of that same year after rejecting an offer of forced exile.
Saylí, co-founder of the Damas de Blanco —an organization awarded the Sakharov Prize by the European Parliament in 2005— remains in the La Bellotex women's prison in Matanzas, serving her full sentence.
The health situation of both is critical. Félix suffers from diabetes, hypertension, and chronic heart problems; in April 2026 he was the victim of a beating by prison guards at Agüica and was transferred to a punishment cell in isolation.
Saylí, who suffers from a serious kidney condition, was sanctioned in May 2026 for publicly denouncing that aggression: the authorities of La Bellotex reduced her sentence reduction for good behavior from 60 to 30 days.
Three days before the election, it was announced that Félix and Saylí Navarro had been nominated for the 2026 Sakharov Prize by a committee of former Cuban political prisoners made up of Normando Hernández, Pablo Pacheco, and Ángel de Fana.
The resolution approved this Thursday also calls for individual sanctions against those responsible for the repression, "starting with President Miguel Díaz-Canel," and demands the repeal of the Cuban Penal Code.
The text also notes that Cuba has 1,339 political prisoners incarcerated, of which 155 are women, 38 are minors, 463 suffer from serious physical illnesses, and 54 experience mental disorders without receiving adequate medical care.
This resolution is the third major action by the European Parliament regarding Cuba in 2026. In January, the Eurochamber approved a amendment to suspend privileged cooperation with Havana with 331 votes in favor; in June, a broader resolution demanding sanctions against Díaz-Canel and the leaders of the military business conglomerate GAESA was passed with 283 votes.
The EU High Representative, Kaja Kallas, acknowledged in May 2026 before the plenary that the agreement with Cuba "has not yielded the expected results after nearly a decade in effect."
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