Brussels Declaration

 "The Only Strength and the Only Truth that there is in this life is love" - Jose Marti    

“BRUSSELS DECLARATION” 

The "Declaration of Brussels" is the first joint-statement of Free Cubans in Europe. It is the result and conclusions of the debates carried out in the first Summit of Free Cubans in Europe held from May 19-22, 2022 in the Capital of the European Union - Brussels.               

Background 

The Brussels Declaration is pronounced with the purpose of joining efforts and bringing the demands of the Cuban people to parliaments and international forums, with independence and own identity, with our means and with the forces and collaboration of the entire Cuban exile community and democratic allies.  

From the communion in principles and objectives we declare:  

Cuba's problem is national, therefore, the solution must be in the hands of Cubans; although in our process of refounding the Cuban Republic we ask for the collaboration and recognition of the international community and democratic organizations.  

The European Parliament has repeatedly condemned the human rights violations in Cuba underlining the violation of the provisions of Article 1(5), Article 2(c), Article 5, Article 22 and Article 43(2) of the Agreement of Political Dialogue and Cooperation and between the European Union and Cuba signed in 2016, by virtue of which the communist dictatorship undertakes to respect human rights; and that it has repeatedly issued resolutions without any effect;  

We declare that the Island of Cuba cannot continue to be subjected to the tyrannical Castro mafia syndicate, whose involvement in human trafficking, drug trafficking, corruption, money laundering and international terrorism places on the shoulders of humble Cubans a police state, enslaving the free and noble spirit of an entire nation that desperately seeks its liberation.

We declare July 11, 2021 as the National Insurrection Day, for having exercised the people's right to freedom of expression and demonstration. We make a call to support the exit of the regime through a popular uprising of the Cuban people against the totalitarian State.  

We denounce the imposition of the new Family Code and the new Criminal Code as instruments of coercion and repression.  

We declare to use the legislative tract and precedent of the Constitution of 1940 for the transition from the totalitarian communist State to the democratic State of Law; that is, the confluence of all currents of opinion in a Constituent Assembly that, by virtue of free discussion, gives institutional form to the political will of the people.   

Demands : 

We demand the resignation of the communist dictatorship and the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners for considering the government illegitimate, for systematically violating the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of which the Republic of Cuba is a signatory.  

We demand that the Cuban opposition be recognized as legitimate interlocutors of independent Cuban civil society before European and international institutions, as underlined in article 36 of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement;  

We demand the separation of powers in Cuba and a state of rights.  

We demand that the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders be given immediate access to the country, in order to document the human rights situation in Cuba;  

We demand that the communist dictatorship authorize the entry of a delegation from the European Union and representatives of member states, as well as independent human rights organizations and representatives of the Cuban opposition, to observe the trials and carry out visits to the centers prisons where hundreds of activists and ordinary Cubans are still detained for exercising their right to freedom of expression and assembly, including those accused of provisions of the Penal Code on "disrespect", "resistance" and "incitement". to the commission of a crime”, among other charges;  

We recall the obligation of the European Union and the Castro regime to comply with the binding provisions of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and Cuba and the Resolution of July 5, 2017; We recall, in this regard, that any dialogue between the European Union and Cuban civil society on funding opportunities should be held only with civil society organizations independent of the opposition, ensuring that in no case does it contribute to financing the communist regime and that the financing has the objective of improving the standard of living of the Cuban population;  

Proposals : 

We propose to establish the International Organization of Free Cubans to achieve, with the consensual efforts of the entire exile community and the participation of all other people of good will, the transition that will reunify the Cuban nation.  

We propose the creation of legal commissions to document the evidence and accuse the military leadership of crimes against humanity that remain unpunished before the eyes of the international community, such as the execution of thousands of innocent Cubans, the sinking of the tugboat 13 March, and the shooting down of the Brothers to the Rescue planes, among thousands of extrajudicial crimes;  

We propose the creation of an electronic identification system for Cubans in Europe (initially) that allows us to carry out a census comparable to European institutions and provide services to Cubans in an irregular situation in Europe;  

We propose to integrate ourselves into the political and cultural life of our host countries and with the organizations that defend democracy and human rights to accelerate the democratic transition in Cuba; We oppose any treatment, agreement, or collaboration program negotiation, trade or understanding of any nature with the communist dictatorship and we will use all the tools of democracy and community institutions to achieve a framework of relations and aid for development, favorable to the Cuban people.  

We propose to elaborate a project to include within the Magnisky law the corruption of the Cuban government and present it before the Human Rights Commission, to provisionally stop the art. 5 of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement, until Cuba demonstrates with transparency the use of European Union funds;   

We propose to prepare a presentation before the EU on Cubans in an irregular situation of residence in Europe so that they can be recognized as political refugees due to the conditions for which they are forced to emigrate; 

We propose to develop a diplomatic, civic, political and socioeconomic education project within the island to help Cuban society understand its values ​​and its importance in the work for the freedom of Cuba;  

We ask the European Parliament, the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the rest of the international institutions to listen to the legitimate claim of the Cuban people and give us all the support and commitment necessary to wage our last battle for Justice, Freedom , Democracy and Human Rights.  

In defense of the repressed people, and of the Cuban Nation, we invite all free Cubans of the world and of good will to join the fight and determine the exit of the communist tyranny in our Homeland!  It is time to organize an orderly and peaceful transition together!  

 "I want the first law of our Republic to be the cult of Cubans to the full dignity of man" -Jose Marti