Rome Declaration for Democracy and Human Rights in Cuba

ROME DECLARATION : 

Free Cubans In Europe, gathered at the “Forum on Democracy and Human Rights for Cuba,” held in Rome from January 26 to 29, 2023, with the will to foster dialogue and unity among Cuban opponents and activists in Europe, on the basis of respect—without forgetting the supreme goal of achieving freedom, respect for human rights, and democracy for our country,     

• having regard to the Constitution of the Republic of Cuba of 1940, the only constitution duly approved by the Cuban people;
   
• having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
   
• having regard to the European Convention on Human Rights;
   
• having regard to Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union;
   
• having regard to the communist re-Constitution of 2019;
   
• having regard to the Resolution of the European Parliament of 19 September 2019 on the importance of European historical memory for the future of Europe (2019/2819(RSP));
   
• having regard to the Resolution of the European Parliament of 10 June 2021 on human rights and the political situation in Cuba (P9 TA (2021)0292);
   
• having regard to the repeated infringement of Article 1, paragraph 5, an essential element of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, on the one hand, and the de facto government of the Republic of Cuba, on the other;
   
• having regard to the Italian Constitution, which guarantees the inviolable rights of the human being;
   
• having regard to the Brussels Declaration of the First Summit of Free Cubans in Europe, held in May 2022.
   

WE DECLARE:

A. That we are active promoters of the Resolution of the European Parliament of 19 September 2019 on the importance of European historical memory for the future of Europe, which condemns the crimes of communism worldwide.

B. That the Communist Party of Cuba, as the sole party, declares itself above all individual human and civil rights, as established in the Constitution of the Republic of Cuba (2019), particularly in Chapter I, “Fundamental Principles,” where a communist regime and a political apartheid are imposed.

C. That, contrary to its commitment to world peace and security, the Cuban regime provides direct support to Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, to terrorist groups in various regions of the world, and practices state terrorism against its own citizens.

D. That we oppose the fact that High Representatives of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy justify the lack of democracy in Cuba by describing it as a “single-party democracy,” and that representatives of the foreign policy of the Member States of the European Union have overlooked for years the continuous violations of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union, its Member States, and Cuba.

E. That, as democratic promoters of a plural Cuba, with all and for all Cubans, WE WILL DEMAND, as EU citizens, before all institutions of the European Union and in our host countries:

i. That mass organizations such as the CDR, FMC, ANAP, UJC, CENESEX, among others—recognized exclusively by the Cuban communist regime and by the European Union in the dialogues held between them—cease to receive funding from the European Union that reaches Cuba. They do not represent Cuban civil society or the interests of the Cuban people. They are merely instruments in the hands of the totalitarian communist regime in Havana to control, subjugate, and dismantle independent civil society.

ii. That no credibility be given to, nor support offered for, the Cuban government’s argument that all of Cuba’s problems are the result of the embargo, and that every opponent and activist is financed and trained by U.S. agencies. The embassies and consulates of the Havana regime in Europe are active centers of propaganda arsenals to manipulate information regarding the situation of Cubans on the island and to expand the communist system to other regions.

iii. The removal of the totalitarian communist regime in Cuba, in order to rebuild the Republic through a political transition toward democracy that upholds the different ideas regarding the future organization of a new State and culminates in whatever the will of the people decides at the appropriate time. Cuba is a failed state. The suffering of the Cuban people must end.

WE REQUEST:

I. That the regime imposed by the Communist Party of Cuba be conceptualized, considered, and treated as a communist dictatorship, which is not representative of the democratic, civic, and libertarian values of the majority of Cubans, as evidenced during the unprecedented events of July 11 and 12, 2021.

II. That immediately, and by virtue of the multiple resolutions of condemnation by the European Parliament against communism and against the regime established in Havana itself, as a consequence of non-compliance with the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA), and on the basis of Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union, the agreement between Cuba and the European Union be immediately suspended, and that the Communist Party of Cuba be urged to:

1. Immediately release the more than one thousand political prisoners in Cuba, without any conditions;
    
2. Cease violations of the fundamental freedoms and human rights of Cubans;
    
3. Comply with its commitments regarding peace, international stability, justice, development, and global well-being.
    

III. That the Member States of the European Union be aware that the Cuban regime promotes labor contracts around the world that contain elements of modern slavery. The European Union and its Member States must prevent these contracts from being accepted within European territory.

IV. That the diplomatic missions of European countries in Havana—especially the Italian mission—as well as that of the European Union, do not remain silent in the face of human rights violations in Cuba, pay attention to the situation of political prisoners, and support their families and independent civil society on the island.

V. That Cubans fleeing the regime in Cuba be able to apply for political asylum upon arriving at European borders, pursuant to Article 10 of the Italian Constitution and the international treaties ratified by Italy and the European Union.

VI. That the European Union and its national governments recognize organizations of Free Cubans in Europe as legitimate opposition and interlocutors, in order to make effective and fruitful the efforts and activities that Cubans carry out daily in coordination and collaboration with countless political representatives at the local, national, and European levels.

WE CONCLUDE:

Cuba will not be free until the Communist Party of Cuba is removed from power, as it is the main promoter of the expansion of the totalitarian communist regime throughout Latin America. It is the duty of Free Cubans to work together with our Venezuelan, Nicaraguan, Bolivian, and Latin American brothers and sisters, in unison with all defenders of freedom, to achieve a democratic Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Bolivia, where fundamental human rights are fully respected and protected.

PATRIA, LIBERTAD Y VIDA