Swedish Parliament to formally request that EU stop financing Cuban dictatorship

The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Swedish Parliament will officially request this Thursday that the European Union (EU) stop financing the Cuban communist dictatorship through the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (ADPC) signed in 2016. The request comes due to the alleged constant violations of human rights by the Cuban government and as well as its support for Vladimir Putin's regime in the invsion of Ukraine. This was expressed on Wednesday by Swedish Deputy Markus Wiechel during a session of the Swedish Parliament, with representatives from the country's different political parties present. The Assembly of the Cuban Resistance (ARC) and leaders of the Cuban civil society also participated.

"It is inconsistent for the European Union to sanction Russia and finance the communist regime in Cuba. ... The communist regime of Cuba should not have the honor of being recognized as the legitimate representative of the Cuban people," Wiechel said in his speech. Orlando Gutiérrez Boronat, coordinator of the ARC, spoke about what the existence of this treaty means in terms of repression for the Cuban people.

Spanish Congressman Hermann Tertsch insisted on the procedure to review the agreement within the European Union and announced that, next week, the ECR Group will ask the European Parliament for the resignation of Josep Borrell, high representative for the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. This comes due to his conduct during his recent visit to Cuba, in which he ignored the situation of political prisoners in the country and other violations of human rights. With this act in the European Parliament, "the Swedes have learned that their taxes go to the EU to finance a criminal dictatorship, its repressive apparatus and the privileges of the caste," Tertsch told Voz Media.