The EU High Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, just completed a trip to Cuba. During his visit, the Spanish socialist only saw what the Castro dictatorship wanted him to see and honestly, that’s all Borrell wanted to see.
Via the Center for a FREE Cuba:
EU’s High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell’s Potemkin village visit to Cuba
The official visit of the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell to Cuba from May 25 to May 27, 2023 was a Potemkin village affair divorced from reality.
Mr Borrell on May 26th highlighted that the “EU is the first trade, investment and cooperation partner in Cuba. During my visit I have had the opportunity to meet with representatives of the more than 700 European companies in the country. The EU-Cuba agreement is key to accompanying the process of economic modernization.” This prioritizing of economic engagement over human rights began in 2016, and seven years later, despite the large European presence, and debts forgiven, Cuba remains an economic basket case backing Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Nor did he mention that in December 2015 it was announced that Spain would forgive $1.7 billion that Havana owed it, passing off the cost to Spanish taxpayers. The 2015 debt restructuring accord between Cuba and the Paris Club, according to Reuters, “forgave $8.5 billion of $11.1 billion, representing debt Cuba defaulted on in 1986, plus charges.” The bulk of that forgiven debt was paid off by European taxpayers.
Nor did it change Cuba’s affinity for backing policies hostile to European interests. Although Mr. Borrell reiterated the European Union’s “clear position on the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine – a threat to global stability and security” and that Cuba during its G77 presidency has a special role and responsibility in the multilateral arena, in defense of the United Nations charter”, the actions of Havana make a mockery of his appeal.
Engagement with dictatorships for the sake of interaction, without prioritizing democratic and human rights principles, can devolve into complicity. This was not the first time an EU official has favored the dictatorship in Havana over the interests of the Cuban people and of the European Union.
The EU Ambassador to Cuba, Alberto Navarro was accused by 16 European Members of Parliament of siding with the Castro ‘regime that neither respects nor defends human rights’ when he co-signed an open letter that asked Biden to “personally take executive action” to lift business and travel restrictions on Cuba. The letter also urged the U.S. to “stop being a hostile neighbor” to Cuba and to “stop interfering in our domestic affairs.” It repeats talking points of the Cuban dictatorship that are divorced from the reality that it is the regime in Havana that is responsible for the internal blockade placed on Cubans by communist central planning.
Continue reading HERE.
We really must stop expecting any better from those who are known to be part of the problem, like this disgusting old Spanish socialist (though he may not identify as Spanish, but as Catalonian). We must stop doing any sort of Captain Renault (from Casablanca) number. It is not only useless but demeaning, given how ridiculous and even pathetic it is. Borrell is not only serving Spanish interests but also European ones, not to mention his own ideological, uh, bent. He’s simply a Spanish Mogherini. Total POS.