The Government of Spain denied the Cuban Ministry of the Interior the sale of 2,500 tear gas cartridges and 40 anti-riot devices with light, sound and smoke, for a combined value of 350,000 euros. The refusal is in the Report on Exports of Defense Material, Other Material and Dual-Use Products and Technologies corresponding to the first semester of 2022.
According to the document, published by the Interministerial Regulatory Board for Foreign Trade in Defense Material and Dual Use (JIMDDU) – an organization chaired by the Secretary of State for Commerce, dedicated to regulating arms export operations – the reason for the refusal is the “lack of respect for human rights” that characterizes the Havana regime.
Under the protection of criterion 2 of the Common Position of the European Union – the rule of conduct on exports -, the JIMDDU argued before the Spanish Congress that it is necessary to consider the degree of “respect for human rights in the country of final destination” when sending weapons, in addition of the little “respect for International Humanitarian Law” that is observed on the Island.
This newspaper contacted the press office of the Spanish Secretary of State for Trade, which regretted not yet being able to offer the full text of the report – to which some Spanish media have had access – and guaranteed that it would be available “in the coming days”. in his web page.
The repeated violation of human rights was also the reason why the JIMDDU blocked the license to export 50,000 tear gas cartridges –for a price of 2.1 million euros– to the Central African Republic.
On the other hand, the JIMDDU did allow the shipment of riot control material to Peru, a country whose political crisis has just taken serious turns, for a value of 6.3 million euros
Pakistan is also on the list, from which a “diversion risk” is alleged in the 670 sports pistols it requested, valued at 175.1 million. Nor will 5.5 million hunting cartridges be sold to Burkina Faso, for 1.6 million, nor the 13.3 shot required by Guinea Bissau, which would have cost that country 2.7 million.
On the other hand, the JIMDDU did allow the shipment of riot control material to Peru, a country whose political crisis has just taken serious turns, for a value of 6.3 million euros.
The JIMDDU is obliged to issue a report on the granting of this type of licenses every year and apply European legislation, which requires that the material not be destined for internal repression in countries where human rights are not respected, among other regulations. In 2021, permission to export to Cuba was granted and there was no refusal, but on this occasion the island was demanding chemical substances for laboratory analysis or ammunition used in hunting.
Another report from the Secretary of State for Trade dated 2021 He realized that Cuba had bought riot gear in the first half of that year, when the massive protests on July 11 were about to break out throughout the island.
Although the authorization from the Spanish government took effect before 9/11, it was not explained in the report if the shipment arrived in Havana in time to suppress the protest or if Spain blocked the shipment so that the regime would not attack peaceful protesters.
Also in 2014, a report from the former Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness reported the export of 3,170,228 million euros in gas masks and armored suits.
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