When you think of organisations that fund human rights abuses, there are certain institutions that come to mind. The obvious ones are corporations controlled by the government and run by the cronies of authoritarian regimes—typically companies selling natural resources like oil and gas.
The European Union is an unexpected presence on that list. It is something that flies under the radar: the EU is bankrolling the authoritarian communist dictatorship in Cuba. Shockingly, for nearly 40 years, the European Union (EU) has funded the brutal dictatorship in Cuba to the tune of more than €300 million in the name of “dialogue.” After all, the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) was meant to foster better relations and the promotion of human rights in Cuba—in return for cold, hard cash.
Plainly, this has been a complete failure, and the EU knows it. Cuba remains a repressive dictatorship despite hundreds of millions of euros flowing into the Cuban government’s coffers. Today, there are more than 1,400 political prisoners in Cuba. Since July 2021, 1,905 people have been detained and dozens have been forced to work at labour camps. There are numerous examples of torture and extrajudicial killings.
Since December 2021, European parliamentarians have passed several resolutions in which they acknowledge that the Castro Regime has ramped up repression against the Cuban population and has committed gross human rights violations with the incarceration of peaceful demonstrators, including underage Cubans and women. Yet EU funding continues unabated. It is estimated that the EU is currently funding 80 projects in Cuba at a cost of nearly €155 million. Every single one of these projects is run by organisations with close ties to the Raul Castro regime.
EU funds have also gone directly to Cuban government institutions that are used to maintain the regime’s continued clampdown on human rights, bolstering its outright refusal to dismantle its oppressive grip on the Cuban people. Meanwhile, over 5,000 Cuban soldiers are participating in Russia’s brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine—an invasion the Castro regime fully supported. Cuba has since deepened its military cooperation with both Russia and Belarus. Cuban representatives have consistently voted in the United Nations against measures designed to help Ukraine.
Fortunately, Europe is starting to push back on these ineffective bribes. The Swedish government is officially working to cancel the subsidy. Senior politicians across the EU and the UK have urged an end to the failed PDCA with Cuba. The European Parliament has passed a resolution calling for a reassessment of the PDCA.
The EU claims to support and protect human rights while simultaneously funding the Cuban dictatorship. The EU claims to back Ukraine, but finances a regime that diplomatically, financially, and militarily supports Russian and Belarusian efforts to destroy Ukraine. The EU needs to immediately end all financial ties to Cuba’s repressive regime. This outrageous situation must not be allowed to continue.
