0602/2022

Summary title: Petition No 0602/2022 by Sadiel Gonzalez Gutierrez (Italian), on behalf of ODV Democrazia e Libertà, on the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) between the European Union and Cuba

Petition number: 0602/2022

Topics: Equal Opportunities and Gender,  Fundamental Rights,  External Relations

Country: All EU countries

Name of association: ODV Democrazia e Libertà

Name: SADIEL GONZALEZ GUTIERREZ

The petitioner refers to Article 85 of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and Cuba, which describes the measures to be taken if either of the parties fails to fulfil its obligations under the agreement. He considers that since 2016, when the PDCA came into force on a provisional basis (Lithuania has yet to ratify it), Cuba has failed to comply with these essential elements and has in fact committed substantial violations. The petitioner also notes that Cuban law and the Cuban Constitution approved in 2019 violate the fundamental human rights of Cubans since they place one ideology and a single party above the PDCA’s essential elements. The petitioner wonders why the Commission and the Subcommittee on Cooperation and Development continue to maintain dialogue on political and cooperation matters with Cuba, ignoring, too, the many resolutions adopted with an absolute majority in the European Parliament on this question. The petitioner therefore calls on the European Parliament to intervene, since the current political dialogue agreement is having no real effect in terms of improving Cubans’ living conditions.