December 8, 2023

                                                                           

 

Dear Prime Minister Alexander De Croo,

dear Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib,

dear President Charles Michel,
dear High Representative Josep Borrell Fontelles,
dear President Ursula von der Leyen,

We are writing to urge you and the European Union to continue its welcome policy of developing positive and beneficial relationships with Cuba based on mutual respect and understanding.

The recent years have seen another significant negative change in the attitude of the United States government towards Cuba which has included the reduction of diplomatic relations, communications and overall relations between the two countries. Among those offensive activities is even the inclusion of Cuba in the State Department’s unilateral list of countries that allegedly do not fully cooperate with US efforts against terrorism (“SSOT”). This is absurd and a totally arbitrary act against Cuba as a country who supports peace (i.e. in Colombia) and strengthens multilateralism where ever possible. And the listing in SSOT is perverted since the U.S. is conducting acts which can be defined as terror against Cuba. This listing has to be removed immediately. It blocks important financial transfers.

At the same time, we have seen the US increase its use of their unilateral extraterritorial laws through the application of Titles III and IV of the so-called Helms-Burton-legislation which negatively affect hundreds of businesses, banks and even NGOs in European countries and across the globe. This kind of “policy of fear” is undermining free and fair trade, is violating international law, and is destroying solidarity and peaceful development – which is today more important and needed than ever before.

In November 2023, for the 31th consecutive year (!), the United Nations General Assembly voted 187-2, in support of a resolution calling for an end of the U.S. blockade on Cuba. The whole world demands the U.S. administration to stop its destructive and unlawful activities against its neighbour Cuba. There has been welcome progress in the relationships between the EU and Cuba through the signing of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) in March 2016. We hope that this agreement will be filled with many more progressive activities and sustainable projects.

During the same month, November 16-17, a prominent meeting at the European Parliament of almost 300 politicians, government staff, lawyers, prosecutors, scientists, doctors, artists, solidarity-activists and other persons from 21 countries has been held. This International Tribunal was conducted by the judges Norman Paech, Suzanne Adely, Ricardo Avelãs, Daniela Dahn, Simone Dioguardi, Dimitris Kaltsonis, and was based on the criteria of the official international jurisdiction:

1. public international law as enshrined in the UN Charter and customary law,
2. human rights as summarized in the two international covenants of 1966,
3. the international treaty and trade law of the WTO, and
4. the laws of the EU.

The Tribunal’s verdict: “The extensive political and economic sanctions imposed on the Republic of Cuba since 1960 up to date violate international law.” The conclusion: “Since the numerous sanctions and the US laws on which they are based are unlawful, they must be abolished. The USA must pay compensation for the damage caused to the Cuban state, its companies and citizens.”

The European Union has the right and the capacity to play an independent and constructive, future-oriented role in encouraging the practical implementation of the will and desire of the peoples of Europe, and to strengthen multilateralism and fair cooperation. And based on the UN-vote and the Tribunal’s verdict it has the obligation to take steps to end or circumvent the criminal U.S. blockade.

There are now very valuable preconditions laid out for Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union between 1 January – 31 June 2024. One focus will be the new Sustainability Plan to ensure that the presidency is sustainable, in line with the 2030 Agenda, and with political priorities such as the ecological transition, inclusion and equality. This will include the competitiveness of European industry, the reduction of energy costs and trade agreements. A special relevance is intended on deepening relations with Latin America.

These important intentions can and should be utilised for strengthening and improving the relations between the EU and Cuba. Cuba is leading sustainable development in many ways, for instance through greening the industry, sustainable agriculture, e-mobility, its pharmaceutical research, and its medical internationalism. Cuba has sent the Henry Reeve Brigades to more than 30 countries, saving many lives and reducing suffering of patients. Cuba has sent medical brigades to European countries such as Italy and Ireland very recently.

With such activities and many others Cuba helps to strengthen multilateralism and solidarity, and even the rule of law internationally. To mention is its recent Presidency of the Group of 77 + China. Therefore, it is a scandal and a shame, that at the very same time it has had to deal with increased unilateral sanctions and subversion by the Trump administration and its agencies, which even blocked medical supplies from reaching Cuba. And President Biden’s government is continuing those crimes, ignoring international laws and the overwhelming will of humankind to end the blockade.

Another important goal in the new Presidency is to combat climate change and to advancing global climate action under the Paris Agreement. In this regard Cuba is very advanced and continues to make efforts to develop a ‘sustainable and green’ economy. All its efforts over recent decades illustrate an amazingly ambitious and progressive strategic program for a systemic policy of climate protection. Cuba’s national climate strategy ”Tarea Vida” (Program for Life) began in July 2017 and is being implemented across Cuba at every level.

The stance of the EU should include a clear statement informing the US administration of the EU’s intentions to strongly support the rights of the member states to trade with Cuba without the threat of fines being imposed by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Further, we believe that the EU should clearly endorse the right to trade with Cuba and the refusal of any EU companies to pay any fines which OFAC might seek to impose on them for trading with Cuba. Such actions would help to implement “Council Regulation (EC) No 2271/96 of 22 November 1996”. In this regard, the European Commission should call upon the World Trade Organisation to indict the U.S. government for its violations of international trade laws and principles. With such action the EU would support many other countries, companies and organisations, in their perfectly legal desire to do business with Cuba.

We also believe that it is of utmost importance, that the EU strengthens the rule of law in international relations. Therefore, it should recognise the independence and sovereignty of Cuba by declaring its full support for the complete and unconditional withdrawal by the United States of America and its military from its illegal occupation of Guantanamo Bay. The recent UN-Report (“Technical Visit to the United States and Guantánamo Detention Facility by the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms while Countering Terrorism”) underlines again the inhumanity of that US-facility. The EU should support Cuba’s rights and demand for full restoration of the land to Cuba and adequate compensation for the many decades of occupation.

We are a broad and diverse group of organisations of citizens based in Europe working to develop friendship, mutual understanding and solidarity between Cuba and our respective countries, as well as with the European Union itself. It is our view that the European Union has an important role to play in developing positive relations with Cuba based on mutual respect and understanding between sovereign nations and diverse cultures, and we hope that your Presidency will see these policies developed further,

 

Sincerely yours,

 

 

The undersigned from 20 countries/entities are listed on the next page

The undersigned

(members and non-members of the EU)

 

• AUSTRIA: Hermann Pernerstorfer (President), Österreichisch-Kubanische Gesellschaft and Michael Wögerer (designated President of the Board of Trustees)
• BELGIUM: Wim Leysens (Secretary), Coordinación para el levantamiento del bloqueo
  contra Cuba (40 member organisations); Freddy Tack (President), „Amigos de Cuba Belgica“; Isabelle Vanbrabant (President), Cubanismo.be
• BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: Sead Halilovic (President), Association of the Bosnian
  and Herzegovinian-Cuban Friendship
• CYPRUS: Vera Polycarpou (Secretaria), La Asociación de Amistad Chipre-Cuba
• DENMARK: Susanne Wind (President), Dansk-Cubansk Forening
• EUROPE: Franco Cavalli (Presidente), mediCuba – Europa
• FINLAND: Paula Pere (President), Suomi-Kuuba-seura ry (Asociación de Amistad Fin­
  landia-Cuba)
• FRANCE: Victor Fernandez (President), Cuba Cooperation France
• GERMANY: Edgar Göll (President), Netzwerk Cuba e.V. (40 member groups)
• GREECE: Alekos Chalvatzis (Coordinator), „Jose Marti“ Cultural Association – Solidarity with Cuba (Greece); Ioannis Tsalavoutas (Cordinador), La Red Solidaria Griega; Andreas Chaicalis (President) – Greek Cuban Association Venceremos¨ of Kalamata
• ICELAND: Sigurlaug Gunnlaugsdottir (President), Vináttufélag Islands og Kúbu (VIK)
  (Iceland-Cuba Friendship Association)
• IRELAND: Simon McGuinness (National Coordinator), Cuba Support Group
• ITALY: Marco Papacci (President), Asociacion Nacional de Amistad Italia-Cuba; Maria Giovanna Tamburello (Speaker), Coordinación de Solidaridad con Cuba
• The NETHERLANDS: Mark Koster (University of Amsterdam) and Paul Jonas (University of Leiden), members of inter-university Cuba-Europa Education and Science Exchange group (CEESE)
• SERBIA: Sveto Dobrijević (President), Serbian-Cuban Friendship Association
• SLOVENIA: Igor JURIŠIČ (President) Slovene – Cuban friendship association
• SPAIN: Manuel García, MESC – Movimiento estatal de solidaridad con Cuba del estado español (63 member groups); David Rodríguez, Asociación valenciana de amistad con Cuba José Martí
• SWEDEN: Matias Diessler (President), La Asociación Sueco Cubana de Solidaridad con Cuba
• SWITZERLAND: Samuel Wanitsch, Asociation Switzerland-Cuba
• UNITED KINGDOM: Rob Miller (Director) and Bernard Regan (Secretary), Cuba
  Solidarity Campaign