Hermann Tertsch Urges End to EU-Cuba Agreement, Criticizes 27 Democracies for Funding Caribbean Dictatorship

Spanish Member of the European Parliament, Hermann Tertsch from the VOX party, affiliated with the Patriots for Europe group, recently released a video from Brussels. In his message, he strongly criticized the financial support that 27 European democracies provide to the Cuban dictatorship, calling it "unprecedented." Tertsch demanded an immediate termination of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) between the European Union and Cuba.

This video emerged following a small gathering of pro-regime activists under the banner "Europe Wake Up / Let Cuba Breathe." The event was organized by the Cuban Embassy in Belgium along with leftist organizations such as PVDA/PTB, Cubanismo.be, and the FGTB union.

Tertsch made light of the low turnout, referring to the attendees as "a handful of people." He attributed the sparse attendance to the absence of Spanish socialists from the PSOE. "When the PSOE is otherwise occupied, the defenders of the communist dictatorship are just a few leftists and a drum," Tertsch tweeted last Tuesday.

European Support for Cuban Regime Under Scrutiny

"It's astonishing that 27 democracies are funding the Caribbean dictatorship. The regime is on its last legs and will soon fall, but the European agreement and payments must end first," Tertsch declared in the video.

His remarks coincide with an upcoming vote scheduled for Thursday in the Strasbourg Plenary. The resolution, spearheaded by the Patriots for Europe, calls for the suspension of the PDCA, a halt to European subsidies to the regime, and the release of Cuban political prisoners.

Back in May, Tertsch had formally announced that the Patriots for Europe would introduce this resolution, emphasizing that Europe must not be "the last bastion of support for a tyranny that has been oppressing the Cuban people for 67 years."

Growing Parliamentary Pressure

Parliamentary pressure in favor of this movement has been mounting. In January 2026, the European Parliament approved an amendment with 331 votes in favor, 241 against, and 63 abstentions. The amendment seeks to review and potentially suspend privileged cooperation with Cuba, highlighting the presence of Cuban combatants in Ukraine and the misuse of European funds in repressive structures.

In May, Kaja Kallas, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, confirmed that the PDCA was under review, acknowledging that the agreement "has not yielded the expected outcomes" after nearly a decade in force.

Opposition Voices Rise

Cuban opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer, exiled from Cuba in October 2025, appeared before the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee on May 5. He described the EU-Cuba agreement as "an aspirin for a terrible cancer," warning that Cuba is enduring "the worst crisis in its modern history."

Last Saturday, Tertsch also mocked the suspension of Visa and Mastercard in Cuba, stating, "The era of trendy progressive tourism by Spanish socialists and unionists is over."

The PDCA, signed in December 2016 and provisionally active since November 2017, includes a human rights clause that allows for its suspension in the event of severe violations. This clause has been a focal point of demand for activation by critics of the regime within the European Parliament.

This Thursday's vote in Strasbourg takes place amid escalating international pressure on Havana: The United States sanctioned Díaz-Canel directly for the first time on June 4, tourism in Cuba plummeted by 55.8% in the first quarter of 2026, and blackouts have reached 20 hours in some parts of the island.