VP/HR — Expulsion of the student Karla Pérez González from her university in Cuba

17.5.2017

Question for written answer E-003387-17
to the Commission (Vice-President/High Representative)
Rule 130
Francisco Assis (S&D)

On 11 April 2017, the 18-year-old student Karla Pérez González was expelled from Marta Abreu University in Las Villas, Cuba, by decision of a committee of first-year journalism students, which voted eight to six to exclude her on accusations of corrupting her fellow students with counter-revolutionary ideas. The decision was subsequently confirmed in a statement from the university’s federation of students. Her crime was having spoken out on a blog she shares with other free thinkers in favour of the plurality of ideas and the right to diverge from the prevailing current. On 12 December 2017, the EU signed a Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement with Cuba, which includes a section on the promotion of democracy and human rights.

Given that in the preamble to the agreement the EU and Cuba reaffirm ‘their respect for universal human rights as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights’, and recall ‘their commitment to the recognised principles of democracy, good governance and the rule of law,’ how will the EU respond to this blatant violation of the right to free expression and clear breach of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration?