Madrid Forum Urges Spain and EU to Rethink Approach toward Cuban Regime

The Madrid Forum has called on Spain and the European Union to drastically rethink their policies concerning the Cuban regime. The proposed changes range from tying diplomatic relations with Havana to democratic progress, to ensuring that European public funds do not end up benefiting state-controlled entities and the military.

Rethinking Policy Ties with Cuba

The recommendations are outlined in the report titled Cuba: A Criminal Regime Supported from Abroad, where the organization suggests a strategy that blends political and economic pressure, the defense of political prisoners, a review of international cooperation, and backing for a potential democratic transition on the island.

The Madrid Forum is an international political platform spearheaded by the Disenso Foundation, closely linked to Vox and presided over by Santiago Abascal. The platform has long maintained a critical stance toward the Cuban regime.

Challenging Economic Support for Cuba

Rather than merely denouncing the economic support allegedly provided to Havana from Spain and Europe, the report suggests actionable changes Madrid and Brussels should implement to alter this relationship.

One of the key proposals is for Spain to cease maintaining a dialogue with the Cuban regime without setting conditions related to the political situation and human rights. The Madrid Forum demands that relations with Havana be contingent upon the release of political prisoners, an end to repression, and progress toward a democratic transition.

Ensuring Humanitarian Assistance Reaches the People

The organization also questions the policy followed by the European Union under the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between Cuba and the EU (PDCA). The report emphasizes that the European Parliament has passed several resolutions critical of the human rights situation in Cuba, urging Brussels to use the mechanisms included in its agreements with Havana in response to reported violations.

Another significant change called for concerns Spanish and European cooperation. The Madrid Forum argues that the Cuban system enables the state to meddle in the channeling and execution of international projects. Therefore, it advocates for mechanisms that ensure funds aimed at helping Cubans do not end up strengthening governmental structures.

Proposals for humanitarian assistance to directly reach the population include utilizing independent organizations such as the Catholic Church and civil society entities not under state control. According to the report, by 2025, there were 80 projects funded by the European Union in Cuba, totaling 155 million euros.

Restricting Business Ties with Cuban Military

The issue is not just about the amount of money allocated to Cuba, but also who controls these resources and who ultimately benefits from them. The report also focuses on business relations with the Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A. (GAESA), a conglomerate controlled by the Cuban military with a dominant presence in strategic economic sectors.

The Madrid Forum proposes that Spain should halt public resource support for investments or business operations linked to entities within the Cuban military network. The organization is particularly critical of the fact that certain businesses might benefit from Spanish mechanisms designed to reduce the risk for companies operating abroad when the Cuban counterpart is affiliated with or belongs to GAESA.

Addressing Financial Operations of Cuban Leaders

The recommendations extend beyond diplomatic and economic relations. The Madrid Forum suggests that Spain avoid becoming a haven or platform for financial operations of Cuban regime leaders and their networks, advocating for the use of available tools against potential money-laundering activities when there are justifiable suspicions.

The proposal also emphasizes enhancing cooperation among police, Guardia Civil, judges, prosecutors, and intelligence services in the face of potential organized crime networks or financial movements linked to the Cuban regime's interests. These measures, as outlined in the report, should be part of a broader Spanish policy aimed at increasing pressure on those controlling Cuba's primary political, military, and economic structures.

Spain's Role in Cuba's Democratic Transition

Beyond pressure tactics, the Madrid Forum urges Spain to prepare to play a significant role in a potential Cuban democratic transition. Due to its historical, cultural, economic, and human ties with the island, the organization believes Spain should be ready to contribute to the economic development and institutional reconstruction of a future democratic Cuba.

The proposal represents a substantial shift from a policy focused on maintaining dialogue and cooperation with the current Cuban authorities. The Madrid Forum's stance emerges at a time when Spanish policy toward Cuba is gaining prominence in political discourse.

Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the leader of the Popular Party, recently stated that if he assumes the presidency, Spain should work alongside the United States to ensure "prosperity and freedom reach Cuba." The Popular Party has also urged Spain to advocate within the European Union for the suspension of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement with Cuba.

Although the Madrid Forum's proposals do not represent the official stance of the Popular Party or a unified policy of the Spanish opposition, they align with an increasingly tough discourse toward Havana in segments of the Spanish right, particularly in demanding democratic changes and questioning the current European relationship with the Cuban regime.

In essence, the report suggests that Spain and the EU transition from a policy primarily based on dialogue, cooperation, and economic relations to one that leverages these tools to demand political freedoms, respect for human rights, and a democratic transition in Cuba.