EU High Commissioner Josep Borrell arrives in Cuba, doesn’t utter a word about human rights

Spanish socialist Josep Borrell, the EU High Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, arrived for a visit in communist Cuba and so far has refused to utter a single word about the Castro regime’s human rights violations. However, he had plenty to say about business opportunities for Europe and the Cuban dictatorship,

Via CubaNet (my translation):

The High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, began his visit to Cuba on Thursday.

“I started the day in Havana with ambassadors from EU member states before the Joint Council,” Borrell wrote on Twitter. “The EU wants to advance a relationship of constructive and critical dialogue when necessary, promoting cooperation and a socio-economic model based on values and rights,” he added.

In none of his first three tweets published from the island did the European official refer to the issue of human rights, the most controversial point of his visit.

Last Monday, a group of seven NGOs urged Borrell to ensure that human rights are at the center of the European Union’s relations with the Cuban government.

While families of Cuban political prisoners were being oppressed, Borrell also participated in an event at a business owned by a Cuban “entrepreneur,” which happens to be the son of a high-ranking Cuban military official.

Via CiberCuba (my translation):

Norge Rodriguez, the director of the independent media outlet Yucabyte, pointed out [Twitter] that “the first public event of Josep Borrell in Cuba was not a meeting with activists or relatives of political prisoners, but a meeting with ‘entrepreneurs’ at a business owned by the ‘son of high-ranking military officials.'”

In another tweet, Rodriguez said the owner of the business is Luis Mario Gell, who “has acknowledged in interviews that he was a ‘communist child,’ the child of high-ranking military parents.”

The independent journalist also noted that while “Borrell was talking about business, the Cuban dictatorship was oppressing the relatives of political prisoners. While Borrell was talking about ‘entrepreneurs,’ the regime was disappearing several political prisoners who had been on a hunger strike since yesterday.”

Unfortunately, this is par for the course for Josep Borrell, who has never been very good at hiding his ardent support for the communist Castro dictatorship. Back in June 2021, leaked emails from the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party implicated Borrell in the party’s political moves to benefit and protect the Cuban regime.

This current visit by Borrell only serves to make clear the European Union continues to be committed to keeping the Castro dictatorship in power.