Seimas adopts a resolution on the Republic of Cuba

Press release, 30 June 2021

The Seimas adopted the Resolution on the Republic of Cuba (draft No XIVP-684), the submission of which had been supported by 35 Members of the Seimas. The total of 82 parliamentarians voted in favour of the Resolution, with no votes against and 17 abstentions.

Photo: Office of the Seimas

‘We are members of the European Union and United Nations; our voice is heard. The document you have in front of you takes note of the fact that the situation in Cuba, since the communist coup of Fidel Castro, has only been deteriorating. The Cuban government has, unfortunately, been exploited for operations, in Latin America, of the Russian Federation and China to disrupt the Venezuelan government through hybrid warfare strategies. Cuban security and armed forces participate, in various forms, in substantially suffocating the aspirations for freedom in Latin America and on other continents. We therefore believe that this does not constitute a domestic matter of the Cuban regime only. We demand the release of political prisoners, in particular, the recent victims of repression, namely intellectuals, writers, and artists, who took a courageous stance against the regime,’ said Emanuelis Zingeris, MP, co-initiator of the Resolution.

The Resolution declares, in strong and unequivocal terms, that the regime of the Republic of Cuba and its relations with the Russian Federation, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as the regime’s support for terrorist organisations funded by drug trafficking, constitute a threat to the neighbouring states and societies of Latin America.

The Seimas resolves that the Government of the Republic of Cuba may not be encouraged to keep pursuing its current path by remaining quiet on these ongoing realities, and that it is not appropriate policy-wise to ratify the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and Cuba and to create favourable conditions for the Government of the Republic of Cuba to allow the regime of the Republic of Cuba to continue implementing its dangerous regional strategy and strengthen the oppression of the people of the Republic of Cuba.

Having expressed its solidarity with the victims of repression, affected by the ongoing persecution, targeting members of the opposition, dissidents and citizens demanding fundamental political, civil, economic and cultural rights, the Seimas Resolution goes on to demand immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and putting an end to illegal home detention of various pro-democracy activists, independent journalists, and artists.

Saulė Eglė Trembo, Chief Specialist, Press Office, Information and Communication Department, tel. +370 5 239 6203, e-mail: [email protected]