Kaja Kallas, the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, issued a sharp warning to the Cuban regime on Tuesday from the European Parliament in Strasbourg, emphasizing the urgency of "negotiated reforms today" to prevent the country from "collapsing tomorrow."
According to Efe, Kallas addressed a focused debate on political repression and the humanitarian crisis in Cuba, as the island faces its most severe downturn in recent history.
Highlighting the need for economic change, Kallas told EU lawmakers, "Along with ending political repression, Havana must also cease its rigid economic control which is stalling the nation. Embracing private enterprise, investment, entrepreneurship, and economic modernization is crucial."
The Estonian diplomat attributed Cuba's dire situation to "decades of structural economic failures, poor policies, and ongoing external restrictions and measures."
Kallas was unequivocal about the EU's stance, asserting, "The European Union does not fund the Cuban state," and cautioned that "humanitarian aid will not solve Cuba's crisis but merely ease immediate human suffering."
The debate also featured Spanish MEPs with differing views. Socialist Leire Pajín insisted that "the United States must end all forms of coercion in Cuba," while equally demanding that "the Cuban Government must finally advance democratic reforms" and release "all political prisoners."
Conservative Gabriel Mato was more scathing, criticizing both the regime and the EU itself. He warned of power outages and the "more than 1,200 political prisoners still incarcerated," asserting that "the European Union should be ashamed of maintaining a cooperation agreement" with Havana that "has not advanced democracy at all."
This debate occurs amid growing international pressure on Miguel Díaz-Canel’s regime. In early May, opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer testified before the European Parliament, declaring that Cuba is experiencing "the worst crisis in its modern history" and calling for the termination of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) between the EU and Cuba, in effect since 2017.
In January, the European Parliament had already approved an amendment—with 331 votes in favor—pushing for a review and suspension of this privileged cooperation with the Cuban regime. Activists like Carolina Barrero and Amelia Calzadilla traveled to Brussels in April to advocate for the suspension of the agreement and the imposition of individual sanctions.
Cuba's energy crisis intensifies the backdrop of the European debate. The island suffers from power outages lasting up to 30 hours daily, with a generation deficit that exceeded 2,113 MW on May 15. The situation worsened following Nicolás Maduro's capture in Venezuela in January, which disrupted the supply of 25,000 to 35,000 barrels of Venezuelan crude daily, and was further exacerbated by a fire at a fuel plant in Havana on February 13.
The European Parliament's final resolution on Cuba, stemming from Tuesday's debate, is set for a vote in June 2026.
Key Issues Surrounding Cuba's Current Crisis
What did Kaja Kallas urge the Cuban government to do?
Kaja Kallas urged the Cuban government to end political repression and rigid economic control, and to embrace private enterprise, investment, and economic modernization.
Why is Cuba facing its worst crisis in its modern history?
The crisis is due to decades of structural economic failures, poor policies, ongoing external restrictions, and recent disruptions in energy supplies.
What are the implications of the energy crisis in Cuba?
The energy crisis has led to severe power outages, contributing to economic instability and exacerbating the humanitarian situation on the island.