Cubans in Brussels made it very clear what they think of the European Union inviting Miguel Diaz-Canel, the murderous communist Castro dictatorship’s sock puppet president, to the CELAC Summit.
Cuban exiles and activists protest Diaz-Canel in Brussels
On Monday, Cuban activists and exiles in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, protested Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel, who was participating in the III Summit of the European Union (EU) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), held on July 17th and 18th.
The protesters, armed with signs saying “Díaz-Canel murderer,” demanded an end to the Cuban dictatorship and the release of all political prisoners, as reported by Diario de Cuba. The group protested near the building of the European Council where the Summit was taking place. The protests, which began at noon and had a significant police presence, were organized by the Cuban-Belgian Coalition, which is part of the European-Cuban Council.
According to a statement from the organizers, the demonstration focused not only on Díaz-Canel’s presence, but also on his alliance with the regime of Vladimir Putin and the human rights violations occurring in Cuba.
During the protest, there was a confrontation between members of the official delegation displaying July 26th flags and the protesting exiles. Cuban activists responded to regime sympathizers with chants of “Down with the dictatorship” and “Down with Díaz-Canel.”
Activists Lázaro Mireles, Avana de la Torre, Sayde Chaling-Chong, Yusil Gascón, Carolina Barrero, and journalist Iliana Hernández were present at the protest. Barrero told Diario de Cuba that “images of the repression suffered by Cuban protesters during the protests on July 11, 2021, in Cuba” were shown on a giant screen mounted on a truck.
“Passersby, cars with the leaders, and the dictator were watching the images,” Barrero said. “We were there to tell Miguel Díaz-Canel that he is not welcome in the capital of Europe. Dictators are not accepted in Europe,” she added.
Less than 24 hours earlier, on Sunday, the Cuban ruler and his wife, Lis Cuesta Peraza, were welcomed by groups in solidarity with the regime.
“The President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, met in Brussels with MEPs, solidarity friends, Cubans residing in Belgium, the Cuban delegation at the Peoples’ Summit 2023, representatives of parties in Europe, and staff from the Embassy of Cuba in Belgium,” tweeted the regime’s Foreign Ministry.
The same account shared numerous photos and videos of Díaz-Canel’s reception by pro-regime groups.
Juan Antonio Fernández Palacios, the Director General of Press, Communication, and Image of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) of Cuba, also shared images on his Twitter account of Díaz-Canel’s reception. Both the Cuban leader and his wife, Lis Cuesta Peraza, were seen dancing to the rhythm of various Cuban songs.
Despite uncertainty about his participation in the III EU-CELAC Summit due to criticism of his regime, Díaz-Canel confirmed on July 13th that he would attend the event.
“We will participate in the CELAC-EU Summit. Cuba, which considers CELAC as the united voice of Latin America and the Caribbean, will attend this meeting with a constructive spirit and will help strengthen relations between both regional blocs on the basis of equality and respect,” tweeted the ruler.
Díaz-Canel made the announcement just 24 hours after the European Parliament approved a resolution condemning the human rights violations and abuses in Cuba and called on the EU to impose sanctions on those responsible for repression, including Díaz-Canel himself.