ECR MEPs Carlo Fidanza and Mariusz Kamiński jointly organized the Transatlantic Parliamentary Forum for a Free Cuba at the European Parliament in Brussels. The event brought together representatives of various political groups from Europe, the United States, Canada, and Latin America, as well as representatives of civil society who support democracy and human rights in communist Cuba.
"The Cuban regime contributes to the destabilization not only of Latin America but, through its close cooperation with other dictatorships, of Europe as well. Closer transatlantic cooperation is essential to counter this," said participants at the Transatlantic Parliamentary Forum for a Free Cuba in Europe.
Mariusz Kamiński, co-host of the forum, emphasized that Cubans have been suffering under the communist regime for decades. “Violence, imprisonment, and sometimes even murder, as in the case of Oswaldo Payá—these are the realities Cubans must face. Blessed Father Jerzy Popiełuszko was right when he said that ‘violence is not a sign of strength, but of weakness.’ Oswaldo Payá, whom I mentioned earlier and who was persecuted by the dictatorship, shared this view, saying that ‘even after the darkest night, dawn comes.’ I am convinced that close transatlantic cooperation will only bring that dawn closer. The Cuban people need our solidarity. It is essential that the European Union reconsider all support it provides to communist Cuba, which only strengthens the Castro dictatorship. A dictatorship that works closely with Moscow, Minsk, and Tehran, and supports the destabilization not only of Latin America but also of Europe,” said the Polish politician.
“The Cuban people have waited long enough for true freedom,” said Carlo Fidanza, co-organizer and chair of the Italian delegation in the ECR Group. “As a leader and defender of democratic values, the European Union must stand firmly by their side in the fight for freedom and justice,” he emphasized.
Senator Ted Cruz shared memories of members of his family who opposed the Batista and Castro regimes and were imprisoned and tortured for dreaming of a democratic Cuba. “I grew up listening to their stories. Tragically, too many generations since then have had to endure the same horrors. It is imperative that the United States and the world stand with the Cuban people against this tyrannical regime,” said the U.S. senator from Texas.
“This third session of the Transatlantic Parliamentary Forum for a Free Cuba is being held for the first time in Europe, at a critical moment. As the humanitarian crisis worsens and human rights are increasingly trampled upon, Havana is strengthening its alliances with Europe’s enemies, posing a growing threat not only to stability in Latin America but also contributing to the aggression in Ukraine,” said Rosa María Payá, president of the Forum. “The assembled parliamentarians sent a clear message of solidarity with the Cuban people and an appeal to European authorities to take decisive action to end the Union’s support for a dictatorship that threatens our security and the values we share,” – added Oswaldo Payá’s daughter.
In late October—on the initiative of the ECR Group in collaboration with the EPP Group —the European Parliament awarded the 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to María Corina Machado, leader of the democratic forces in Venezuela, and President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia. Oswaldo Paya, who was murdered by the Cuban regime, was a recipient of the Sakharov Prize in 2002.
