The European Union is set to discuss human rights in Cuba with the country’s authorities in November, according to the head of the bloc’s diplomacy, Josep Borrell. This follows news that the special representative of the European Union for Human Rights, Eamon Gilmore, will be visiting the country. While the EU does not have the capacity to impose changes on Cuba, Borrell emphasised that a dialogue about what is “unites and separates us” should occur without “taboos or prohibitions.” This comes after widespread protests in Cuba last July, which resulted in the sentencing of nearly 500 protesters, some for up to 25 years in prison.
In May 2023, the head of the European Union’s diplomacy, Josep Borrell, met with Cuban authorities to discuss human rights and announced the forthcoming visit of Eamon Gilmore, the special representative of the European Union for Human Rights, to Cuba later that year. While the bloc may lack the capacity to impose change upon Cuba, Borrell emphasised the importance of dialogue without taboos or prohibitions. The objective of Gilmore’s visit concerns discussions surrounding the human rights situation in Cuba, particularly regarding the protests in July 2021 in which thousands of people took to the streets to protest. A group of NGOs has called for human rights to remain central to the EU’s relations with Cuba.
EU Human Rights Representative to Visit Cuba
