Solidarity Event “Cuba Sí, Bloqueo No” held at the European Parliament
Brussels, 1 October 2026.– The European Parliament hosted the “Cuba Sí, Bloqueo No” event on 30 September and 1 October, organized by The Left Group. The event brought together Members of the European Parliament, political representatives, academics, experts, trade unionists, activists and members of organizations in solidarity with Cuba.
Over the course of the two-day event, participants discussed the political, economic and humanitarian consequences of the United States blockade against Cuba, with particular attention to its impact on healthcare, the economy and the daily lives of the Cuban people. Discussions also addressed the impact of the blockade on fuel supplies, the persecution and pressure exerted on shipping companies transporting resources to the island, and the application of secondary sanctions against entities and economic actors maintaining relations with Cuba.
In this context, participants denounced the extraterritorial nature of these measures and their repercussions beyond bilateral relations between Cuba and the United States, as well as their effects on companies, organizations and citizens of third countries. They highlighted the consequences of these policies for the Cuban people and the obstacles they create for the development of international cooperation and exchanges with the island.
The first day, entitled Breaking the Blockade: Law, Economy and Society, featured the participation of Members of the European Parliament Ilaria Salis and Marc Botenga; the Ambassador of Cuba to Belgium, Juan Antonio Fernández Palacios; Cuban physician Dr. Aleida Guevara March; Jan Fermon, Secretary-General of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers; economist Emily Morris; British parliamentarian Jeremy Corbyn; and researcher and essayist Salim Lamrani.
The second day, Standing with Cuba: Voices of International Solidarity, was devoted to experiences and initiatives of international solidarity with Cuba, including medical cooperation, and provided an opportunity to exchange views on the role that political organizations, trade unions, civil society organizations and European citizens can play in initiatives of support and cooperation with the island.
Representatives of solidarity initiatives and Cuban medical cooperation, along with members of the European Parliament, spoke at the event. Dr. Damaris Álvarez, a member of the Cuban Medical Brigade in Calabria, also participated and shared her experiences as part of Cuban medical cooperation in Italy. Dr. Aleida Guevara March delivered the opening and closing remarks at the event.
The activities concluded with a Photo Action at Place du Luxembourg in Brussels, as a public expression of solidarity with Cuba and of rejection of the blockade and the unilateral coercive measures imposed by the United States against the island.
The event highlighted the continued presence of solidarity initiatives with Cuba in Europe and the willingness of diverse political and social actors to continue promoting dialogue, cooperation and actions aimed at lifting the blockade and respecting the right of the Cuban people to sovereignly determine their own future.
(Cubaminrex-CubanEmbassy to Belgium)