Cuban opponents denounced to the EU that, despite protests in July, the Díaz-Canel dictatorship “has no intention of changing”

Cuban opposition activists denounced this Monday in the European Parliament the lack of openness of the Cuban regime after the massive protests that took place last July, in which thousands of Cubans protested against the lack of medications, meal and in favor of freedoms.

According to the journalist Reinaldo Escobar, the dialogue that the Cuban dictator, Miguel Díaz-Canel, wants to promote, is part and limited to a forum “among the revolutionaries”, Therefore, in his opinion, the Cuban dictatorship he does not listen to the demands that drove Cubans to the streets in July.

The founder of the information portal 14ymedio reported that “Not a single measure” adopted by the Cuban dictatorship goes in the direction of greater openness. “There is not the slightest intention to fundamentally change the situation, or to submit a change for the consideration of citizens”he told MPs.

Escobar asked the EU not to be “supple tan“With the rights violations on the island.” Every step the EU takes must be conditioned and have a counterpart by Cuba. Also, it must be corn energetic with the denunciation of political prisoners“, a point.

He also intervened Miscellaneous Lariza, from the Cubalex organization, which criticized that the new law on radioelectronic space licenses will give the Díaz-Canel regime the ability to control communications and give more arbitrariness in the digital framework, able to act against protests such as those that took place in July.

The EU and “Positive steps” towards the liberalization of the economy

From the EU’s External Action Service, Jonathan Hatwell acknowledged that there are no easy solutions to Cuba’s problems, as they are “endemic and too deep for there to be quick fixes”. “In-depth reforms are needed“, argument.

At the same time, he highlighted positive aspects after the massive protests in July, such as the fact that the parameters of the economic strategy presented by Díaz-Canel take action to liberalization of the market, the self-employment and the small enterprises. “These are positive steps that could help put the country on the path to sustainable growth,” he said.

On the side of political parties, Gabriel Mato, MEP of the PP, He accused the Cuban dictatorship of “taking root” after the protests and questioned the role of the EU and the High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell in this scenario., as well as the viability of the dialogue with Havana.

For his part, the socialist Ignacio Sánchez Amor agreed with Escobar that the wave of protests marks “a before and an after in Cuba” and, in front of the PP, defended the dialogue between Brussels and Havana as the best instrument to influence the opening of the Cuban regime. Likewise, he underscored the demand for the United States to withdraw its blockade policy. “Lifting the embargo means removing the excuses for the authoritarian tendencies that are manifested in Cuba”, he stressed.

Javier Nart, of the liberals, criticized the European strategy and assured that several years of cooperation with Cuba had led “nowhere”. “I understand that to establish dialogue, it must be established in a direction that is possible”, he said, while regretting that any economic opening in Cuba is “a backwardness of SMEs”.

(With information from Europa Press)

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