MIAMI, United States. – The European Parliament will debate next Tuesday, in Strasbourg, the state of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (ADPC) between the European Union (EU) and the Government of Cuba, a few days after the visit to the Island of the high representative Josep Borrell, according to a report of Marti News, who had access to Parliament’s agenda for next week.
The parliamentary sources quoted by that outlet reported that the conservative forces will highlight “the lack of freedoms and the demand for respect for rights in Cuba.” Likewise, this group expressed its “special concern” about the fact that Borrell “did not address the issue [de los derechos humanos]nor will he visit the political prisoners during his recent visit.”
On the other hand, the Socialists have expressed their support for Borrell’s visit to Havana and support the ADPC with the Island, positioning it “as the only possible and useful policy to influence Cuba,” they declared.
Renew Europa, the liberal group in Parliament, described the high representative’s visit as a “lost opportunity to reclaim dignity in Cuba.” Liberals criticized the lack of democratic progress despite European funding.
“The ADPC opens the door to more European financing, but, in exchange, not only do we not see any democratic progress on the Island, but each reform is one more step of repression,” they complained.
In addition, they questioned Borrell’s actions during his visit, asking: “Why hasn’t Mr. Borrell denounced that in Cuba? He had numerous opportunities and his only approach to civil society was a walk through Old Havana ”.
After the debate, a vote is expected on July 10 where the groups will foreseeably adopt a resolution on the subject. Despite the two resolutions that the European Parliament already approved in 2021 on human rights violations in Cuba, they have not managed to change the policy of the bloc of 27 towards the island’s regime.
This Thursday the Foreign Relations Committee of the Swedish Parliament asked officially the cessation of EU financing to the Castro dictatorship through the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement, signed in 2016, due to human rights violations by the Cuban Government and his alliance with the regime of Vladimir Putin.
