Speeches

Madam President, Commissioner, today we are holding the third debate on Cuba in this House so far in 2021. The third one! I remind you that, in each and every one of them, the central issue under discussion has been the condemnation of the various forms of human rights violations by the Cuban regime. This constant reflects that the systemic violation of these rights shapes a state policy of the Cuban communist regime. Now, again, with greater gravity, we see that the desperation of the Cuban people manifested itself last July. What happened at that time was historic. Cubans have gone out into the streets to protest, tired of the precariousness they suffer, to the cry of "Freedom!" demanding their fundamental rights. Unfortunately, instead of peacefully joining the dialogue proclaimed by many in this House, the Cuban Government did not hesitate to use repression, persecution and the use of force in response to peaceful protests. Although, for some political groups, the figures I am going to recall are not serious, for our group, and for me personally, they are a very painful consideration. There have been 5 000 reported disappearances as a result of these demonstrations and 1 500 persons with measures restricting their freedom and 381 registered political prisoners and convicts. We could highlight from among the persecuted, disappeared and detained the following names: the recently released Sakharov Prize, Guillermo Fariñas; José Daniel Ferrer, President of UNPACU, who has been unaccounted for for more than two months; Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, member of the San Isidro Movement, and Maykel Osorbo, author of the song Homeland and life, artists whose only sin has been to manifest a desire for an element that is necessary in creativity: your freedom. In an effort to legalize the illegal and criminal, this Cuban Government has enacted laws such as Resolution 105 and Decree Law 35, which allow it to search homes and seize property, cancel the right to communications, fine and encourage the initiation of criminal proceedings of people who disseminate news or messages with an impact on the prestige of the country, that violate social precepts or that promote social indiscipline. On the other hand, Decree 370 severely fines the fact of disseminating through the networks information contrary to social interests, morality or good customs, a great gag to all information that does not interest the regime. Finally, despite repeated requests from this Parliament to send a visiting mission to the island, the Cuban Government has prevented this action, which is necessary to know the facts and obtain first-hand, truthful and unfiltered information. Do you really think that the Cuban Government has any interest in advancing freedom and democracy in your country, as promised in the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement with the European Union? And I'm not talking about after sixty years of this regime; I am referring very specifically to the commitment made to Europe in December 2016. That is, in five years they have not moved one iota for the respect of human rights and freedom through the development of democracy. This has never been on the Cuban agenda. Therefore, the MEPs who support the Cuban Democrats cannot follow this mockery. The resolution we are proposing today goes a step further. On the one hand, we call on the European Union to activate Article 85 of the Agreement in order to convene the Joint Council, since we consider that, for all the above reasons, we are facing a situation of urgency, as set out in the Agreement. And we call on the Council to make use of the EU Magnitsky Act and adopt sanctions against those responsible for serious human rights violations. I want to end by sending a message of support to all the victims of that regime, on and off the island. And I would like to recall that, as pillars of the European Union, the principles of respect for human rights are upheld without regard for nationalities.

Madam President, the 21st century will become historic because of its great challenges and threats. On the one hand, the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked great havoc, but on the other, climate change, totalitarianism, conflict, economic and social inequality, insecurity, poverty and corruption across multiple governments are all provoking huge migration flows. Migration can be understood as a challenge, but also as an opportunity, both for receiving societies and for those who emigrate. And so history has shown. According to IOM, about 281 million people reside in a country other than their home country. According to UNHCR, there are almost 83 million forcibly displaced due to conflict and human rights violations. Today we commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, a treaty that establishes the parameters of international protection for those who have been forced to leave their country because their lives were in danger. For them, being a refugee was not a choice, it was an imperative. I speak properly when I say that I have seen the bitterest face of forced migration, that of more than five million Venezuelans who, like many other peoples, have been forced to embark on desperate paths beyond their borders due to inhumane dictatorships. The Member States of the Union have an international responsibility towards refugees, but the European Union also has a moral responsibility towards the countries of origin to bring them closer to democracy and to accompany them in that process, and also to punish those who commit crimes against their populations. Crimes against our humanity.

Madam President, Mr High Representative, we are deeply concerned about the situation of total helplessness in which Nicaraguans find themselves. Repression, persecution, harassment, attacks and killings have escalated alarmingly in recent months as these upcoming presidential elections approach. Today the Ortega government is holding more than 120 political prisoners, including Cristiana Chamorro, Arturo Cruz, Félix Madariaga, Juan Sebastián Chamorro, Miguel Mora and, finally, imprisoned yesterday along with other social leaders and student leaders, Medardo Mairena. All of them, coincidentally, presidential candidates. What is Ortega afraid of? The answer is very simple: freedom and democracy in your country. Therefore, they have radicalized repression by disguising it with the legality of aberrant laws. They have transformed the November elections into a farce to stay in power permanently against the will of the Nicaraguan people. It is not interference in internal affairs. Ortega has to live up to his core international obligations. Europe must take immediate action in the face of the obvious violation of human rights and not allow this escalation. The European Union must punish the perpetrators of these crimes, which have so far gone unpunished, starting with Daniel Ortega himself and his wife, Rosario Murillo.