Public Statement

Public Statement
of the Meeting of Northern European Cuba Friendship Associations,
Reykjavik, Iceland 25-26th of April 2008

Times are changing and the European Union and all European countries have all reasons to go forwards with its dialogue with Cuba, annul its Cuba sanctions and develop cooperation with this island nation that shines with its progress in so many fields. We are talking about the Cuba which the analysis of the World Wildlife Fund says is the only sustainable country in the world. We are talking about the Cuba whose infant mortality is 5.3 ‰, decidedly lower than the 6.4‰ of the rich USA, and whose parliament has 43% women members, placing it third in the world. In spite of the US blockade against Cuba, the economy of the island nation is one of the fastest growing, having accumulated a 42.5% GDP increase 2004-2007. This has made it possible to refurbish hospitals, raise wages substantially, renew public transport systems, continue decentralising university education to the municipal level and continue Cuba’s large-scale international solidarity, and much more.

Cuba has at present 36,578 doctors and other health workers giving health care amongst the poor in 73 countries. In Cuba 30,000 youth from third world countries are in training to be doctors. One hundred doctor trainees are from poor areas in the USA. The training is free of charge, the only condition being that they return to give health care to the unprivileged communities they come from. Operation Miracle has so far saved the eyesight of over one million patients with cataracts or other serious eye diseases. Cuba’s literacy programme “Yes, I can!” has taught three million to read and write. Cuba’s solidarity work and mutual cooperation reach around the world, but especially to its Latin American neighbours such as Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua and Dominica who cooperate in ALBA the Bolivarian Alternative.

The people of Latin America are creating new hope, welfare and a life of dignity, freeing themselves of being the backyard of the USA. However, the present US government is unwilling to revise its ambitions of enslavement and primitive exploitation of Latin America, and beefs up its military bases, instead of embracing how the poor and the indigenous peoples take control of their own lives and their countries’ resources and raise their standard of living, which in time will also give substantial new opportunities for foreign trade and exchange.

Cuba has stood up to the almost 50 year long criminal U.S. blockade, a blockade which meets increased criticism within the US Congress. However the George Bush government frenetically steps up its actions against Cuba in accordance with the Helms-Burton law and the so-called Bush Plans of 2004 and 2006. The latest step has been to triple the budget for subversive activity in Cuba to 45.7 million US dollars for 2008. To assist with this, Europeans and Latin Americans are specifically sought for. With this dirty money in his wallet the so-called “Cuba Transition Coordinator” Caleb McCarry has been on a half-secretive tour in Europe and met with anti-Cuban grouplets. He has also been received by various governments’ officials, the purpose of which is to pressure the European Union to step up sanctions against Cuba. In June the EU is expected to review its Common Position on Cuba. Before that, the 16-17th of May, the next Summit of the EU – Latin America & Caribbean (LAC) will take place in Lima, Peru.

Since the previous EU-LAC Summit in May 2006 in Vienna, cooperation projects between Latin American and Caribbean countries have multiplied. Also trade with both the EU and the USA has gone forwards. Social programmes are put in motion by the popular new governments. Cuba’s involvement and international solidarity makes a great impact especially on the health of the poorer population sectors, who earlier hardly had access to doctors. Cuba has attained increased prestige and love within Latin America and the Caribbean. This is reflected in Cuba being entrusted with a seat on the UN Council of Human Rights and also being at present elected as the General Secretary of the 118 country strong Non-Aligned Movement.

When Louis Michel, EU Commissioner of Development and Humanitarian Aid met with Cuba’s Foreign Minister Felipe Pérez Roque in Havana the 7-9th of March, they were in agreement that dialogue and mutual respect were the way forwards to normalize relations between the EU and Cuba. The EU sanctions must be done away with. However there are governments within the EU who wish for more confrontation with Cuba, a policy that in practice gives support to the US criminal blockade against Cuba and strengthens the demonization propaganda.

It is now the time for the EU to develop the dialogue and cooperation with Cuba already started, and to:
• Abolish the 2003 sanctions, which stipulate no to top-level political contacts and cultural exchange.
• Give up the Common Position on Cuba, a result of the 1996 US Helms-Burton law’s blackmail, and intentionally break the blockade.
• Use all available channels to convince the US Government to respect the opinion of the grand majority of the UN General Assembly that the blockade politics against Cuba must cease.
• Declare that the existence of the US-torture-camp at Guantánamo base is a crime against humanity, and demand that the bay area is returned to the sovereign state of Cuba.

REYKJAVIK, the 26th of April, 2008

Cuba Association of Norway
Cuba Support Group Ireland
Danish-Cuban Association
Finnish-Cuban Friendship Association
Iceland-Cuba Friendship Association
Lithuanian-Cuban Friends Club
Swedish-Cuban Association