As Cuba continues to face the challenges of a US-imposed blockade and widespread disinformation campaigns, over 300 representatives of social movements, trade unions, and political organizations gathered in Paris during the weekend of November 22-24 for the 19th European Continental Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba. The delegates focused on strengthening ties between the Caribbean island and European countries, addressing the economic consequences of the blockade and everyday realities of life under these pressures.
The meeting produced a declaration outlining guidelines for European networks to counter mainstream defamation of Cuba, such as a campaign to end the country’s classification as a state sponsor of terrorism. In direct contrast to the stance of European leaders who align with the US-imposed blockade, participants expressed “unconditional support for the Cuban Revolution and its right to build the socialist project chosen by the majority of the people,” the Cuban Institute of Friendship with Peoples (Instituto Cubano de Amistad con los Pueblos, ICAP) reported in a statement.
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According to Rodrigo Suñe from the International Peoples’ Assembly, the declaration “reaffirms unconditional support for Cuba’s right to continue building its path to socialism in a sovereign manner.” This, Suñe explains, will be achieved by “gradually and collectively” strengthening political solidarity with Cuba’s struggle against attacks led by successive US administrations.
Among these attacks, Suñe highlights the US-imposed blockade, designed to strangle the Cuban economy, and a “permanent media war” aimed at spreading manipulation and misinformation. He emphasizes that those in solidarity with Cuba must actively denounce and counter these campaigns. To achieve this it is essential to raise awareness and exchange information about the everyday realities of life in Cuba under the blockade. Reflecting this priority, part of the meeting focused on analyzing the blockade’s impact on Cuba’s economy, trade, and financial systems.
“We left the meeting with a mission to strengthen material solidarity by financing and implementing new cooperation projects, as well as promoting and organizing campaigns to send priority donations,” says Suñe. “To achieve this, it will be crucial to involve young people and expand their participation in building solidarity.”
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On the final day of the conference, participants staged a protest in central Paris, reaffirming their call for solidarity with Cuba and urging European countries to radically change their approach. Currently, European Union member states continue to follow US policy on Cuba, a stance that, according to ICAP, does not reflect the interest – or the will – of the peoples of Europe. As part of the meeting’s conclusions, an appeal was launched for the EU to break away from US interference and remove the obstacles hampering its relations with Cuba, Rodrigo Suñe told Peoples Dispatch.
This work is particularly important given the escalating crises at a global level. “We are facing a very complex situation, with the deepening of the capitalist crisis, wars, and the rise of the far-right and its neofascist ideals. This is why we need to improve the quality of our articulation of internationalist solidarity,” explains Suñe.
The commitment to strengthening solidarity between Europe and Cuba will remain a key focus for ICAP and other organizations as they prepare for the next meeting, scheduled to take place in Turkey in 2026. Leading up to that event, Suñe says, the movements involved will focus on building a unified strategy to strengthen both political and material solidarity with Cuba, addressing the challenges discussed during their meeting in Paris.
