The Cuban Parliament on Wednesday strongly denounced a resolution passed by the European Parliament that criticizes the human rights situation on the island and calls for sanctions.
The International Relations Committee of the National Assembly of People’s Power (ANPP) strongly denounces the resolution adopted by the European Parliament on July 12,” the institution said in a statement. For the ANPP, the “European Parliament does not have the moral, political and legal authority to judge Cuba”. “The text shows a high degree of interference,” denounces the Cuban Assembly.
“The adoption of this resolution, which singles out a Latin American and Caribbean country, goes against the principles of respect, inclusion and cooperation with which the third CELAC-EU summit is supposed to be organized”, which will be held on July 17 and 18 in Brussels, between the Heads of State of the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.
“Policy of repression”
The European Parliament resolution calls on Havana to “put an end to the policy of repression which has recently intensified,” according to a statement from the institution. She calls for “the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained solely for exercising their human rights, the abandonment of abusive criminal prosecutions and the return of exiles”.
The European Parliament also asks the Council of the EU “to adopt sanctions against those responsible for the persistent violations of human rights in Cuba, starting with President Miguel Diaz-Canel”. Several hundred Cubans have been imprisoned for their participation in the July 11, 2021 anti-government protests. The EU, the Vatican and the United States are calling for their release.
At the same time, several human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have recently condemned the deterioration of the human rights situation on the island, led by the Cuban Communist Party (CCP), a single party.
Support for Russia
Regarding the EU-CELAC summit, MEPs believe that “autocratic regimes should not participate in these meetings between countries that share democratic values and respect human rights”.
At the same time, the resolution denounces “the Cuban regime’s support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its defense of Russia and Belarus.” Havana and Moscow have multiplied signs of rapprochement in recent months, with the announcement of future joint projects in various fields, including “technical-military”.
The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, traveled to Cuba in May where he was received by President Miguel Diaz-Canel. In November, the European Union’s special representative for human rights, Eamon Gilmore, is due to visit Havana.
This article is originally published on tdg.ch
