The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Cuban Embassy in Belgium and to the European Union have expressed their gratitude for the expressions of solidarity from the European Parliament, where MEPs, Cuban residents, and supportive friends spoke out against the intensification of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States on the island.
“Solidarity with #Cuba from the European Parliament in the face of the United States blockade. We thank MEPs, Cuban residents, and supportive friends for their heartfelt support. #CubaIsNotAlone,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on its official X account.
At the same time, the Cuban diplomatic mission in Brussels posted on the same social media platform that “from the European Parliament, voices of solidarity are rising in support of #Cuba in the face of the aggression and the intensification of the blockade imposed by the United States. Solidarity cannot be blocked.” #CubaIsNotAlone
These statements add to a growing wave of international support for Cuba, especially after the new coercive measures announced by Washington on May 1, which include sanctions against strategic sectors of the Cuban economy and direct military threats.
In recent weeks, various solidarity organizations with Cuba in Europe have intensified their support efforts.
Four major organizations—Cuba Cooperation France, the State Movement of Solidarity with Cuba in Spain, the National Association of Italy-Cuba Friendship, and the Swedish-Cuban Solidarity Association—submitted a petition to the European Parliament urging immediate action against the US blockade and its extraterritorial nature.
The petition requests mechanisms to protect European banks and companies from Washington’s secondary sanctions, noting that between 2009 and 2016, European banking institutions paid nearly $16 billion in fines imposed by the United States.
The Party of the European Left, at its 8th Congress held in Belgium last April, approved a resolution in defense of Cuba demanding the immediate lifting of the blockade and the repeal of all measures that prevent the island from trading freely and accessing energy resources.
Previously, in March of this year, more than 100,000 people participated in a historic demonstration in Brussels, organized by Belgian trade unions, solidarity organizations, and Cuban residents, under the slogan “We will not allow economic strangulation to determine the fate of a dignified people.”
This mobilization was part of the international #HandsOffCuba campaign, which has included fundraising efforts and shipments of humanitarian aid.
European solidarity with Cuba has gone beyond political statements. In mid-March, the first European convoy of solidarity aid from the “Let Cuba Breathe” project arrived in Havana with five tons of medical supplies and renewable energy equipment, accompanied by four members of the European Parliament.
IMAGE CREDIT: ACN | Photo: @CubaMINREX
[ SOURCE: AGENCIA CUBANA DE NOTICIAS ]
