The Portuguese Communist Party alerts to the seriousness of the intentions declared by the current German Presidency of the European Union to promote the approval of a “Medium and Long term strategy for Cuba” which foresees, besides political and diplomatic sanctions against Cuba, a secret chapter of hostile actions, similar to the so-called “Bush Plan to overthrow the Cuban regime”.
If approved, this new economic, political and diplomatic escalade against Cuba would mean an unacceptable hardening of the “common European Union position on Cuba” approved in 1996 and by itself a shameless act of interference and discrimination against this country. Such a “strategy” aims to create hurdles in the relations which several European states, including Portugal, maintain with the Cuban state, in spite of the “common position” and would represent a clear disrespect for the relations of friendship, mutual respect and solidarity that bind the peoples of several European countries and the people of Cuba, as is the case of the Portuguese people.
The attempt to harden the EU position regarding Cuba is yet another sign of the dangerous convergence of the European Union with the North American foreign policy. A proof of this is in the fact that the authors and greatest defenders of this new escalade against Cuba are, on one hand, some of the most faithful followers of the militarist and interference policies of the Bush Administration, like the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania and Slovenia –members of the anti-Cuban “Group of Friends of Democratic Cuba” created and led by the US – and, on the other, the European powers of the so-called “Transatlantic axis”, namely Germany and Great Britain.
The PCP demands that the Portuguese government take a stand, in the European institutions, rejecting any attempts to approve this “strategy” and dissociate Portugal from any measures affecting Cuban independence and sovereignty. This is the only stand in accordance with the inalienable sovereignty of the international relations of Portugal, the International Law, the Constitution of the Republic and the bonds of friendship and solidarity linking the peoples of Portugal and Cuba.
The PCP declares that it will frontally oppose any using of the coming Portuguese Presidency of the European Union for any new attempts to approve measures that threaten the inalienable right of the Cuban people, like all other peoples, to decide on their own fate with any foreign interference.
The PCP reaffirms the solidarity and friendship of the Portuguese communists with the communists and the people of Cuba, its socialist revolution and appeals to all friends of Cuba, all democrats and the Portuguese people to make their voice heard against the new attempts to isolate Cuba and its people.
