Havana Cuba. – This Tuesday several MEPs questioned the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, for avoiding talking about human rights violations during his visit to Cuba at the end of May. In addition, they asked to suspend the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (ADPC) that has existed between that organization and the island’s regime since 2017.
The debate took place in Strasbourg during the meeting of the Commission and the Council of the European Union.
Those who questioned Borrell’s visit stressed that the diplomat fundamentally promoted a business agenda with the regime and did not meet with relatives of political prisoners. They also referred to the constant violations of human rights in Cuba, the existence of more than 1,000 political prisoners and the fact that Havana is one of the main allies of the Kremlin regarding the invasion of Ukraine.
In this sense, more than half of the deputies who intervened spoke, among them, the vice-president of the European Parliament, Dita Charanzová, and the deputies Leopoldo López Gil and Hermann Tertsch.
Charanzová affirmed that, given the political panorama of constant human rights violations and the alliance with Vladimir Putin, it was not the time to maintain relations with Cuba. López Gil said that Borrell’s visit gave an image of normalcy on the Island when the opposite occurs. For his part, Tertsch maintained that this cooperation policy was only rewarding the Cuban regime with millions of euros and that Borrell went to Cuba “to act as a lawyer for the dictatorship.”
The three expressly requested to suspend the ADPC and in the case of Tertsch, a deputy for the Spanish Vox party, requested Borrell’s resignation.
Some deputies, such as Manuel Pineda, defended the existence of the ADPC and maintained that the crisis and social ills on the Island are due to the US “blockade.”
In response to the allegations, the senior representative said: “I did what I had to do. Our policy is to take advantage of the opportunities that this agreement provides”. Likewise, he assured that the European Union had approved a budget of 90 million euros for Cuba in the period 2021-2024, which were destined to support the process of economic modernization and ecological transformation.
But, as he stated, the fact that Cuba is included in the list of countries that sponsor terrorism was creating “many obstacles.” “[Eso] I don’t think it’s good for political evolution,” he said.
“You have not convinced me. This was a necessary trip that has opened ways to continue seeking the evolution of Cuba,” she added.
Regarding human rights, Borrell assured that in meetings with regime officials he had come to mention the words “human rights” nine times and that part of his team met with relatives of political prisoners.
The closing of this process of evaluation of the application of the ADPC will culminate next July, when the Commission and the Council will vote on a resolution.
