The Cuba Initiative was founded more than 20 years ago, as one of the three membership organisations of the Caribbean Council, “in response to a request from the Governments of the United Kingdom and Cuba for an independent, bi-lateral, non-governmental body able to support and develop programmes that enhance the UK/Cuban relationship,” according to the Caribbean Council website.

The Cuba Initiative fosters a closer economic, trade and investment relationship, to deliver a sustained increase in trade and investment in all sectors.

During the exchange, with the participation of other members of the organization, González expressed the interest to continue deepening bilateral economic relations, friendship and cooperation ties between Cuba and the UK.

She stressed that Cuba’s Foreign Investment Law and the establishment of the Mariel Special Zone of Development (ZEDM) provide greater opportunities for progress in economic/commercial relations.

The Cuban official also tweeted about the meeting, which she described as useful, and reiterated the commitment to continue developing and promoting economic/commercial relations and investment.

González also toured the Palace of Westminster with Lord Triesman and Cuban Ambassador to the United Kingdom Teresita Vicente Sotolongo.

As part of this stop of her tour of European and Central Asian nations, the diplomat also spoke with Sir Simon McDonald, Permanent Under Secretary and Head of the Diplomatic Service at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The two officials highlighted the mutual will to advance ties.

The day before, the Deputy Foreign Minister met with Rob Miller, director of the Cuba Solidarity Campaign, and members of this national organization, and expressed her gratitude for their efforts in support of the island.

At the London headquarters of the UK’s largest union, UNITE, González also spoke with trade union leaders and members.

The next stop of the Deputy Minister’s tour will be Iceland, followed by Ireland. She previously visited Belarus, Georgia, Poland, Turkey and Uzbekistan, where she likewise noted the excellent ties with Cuba and the will to extend them.

(With information from Prensa Latina)

The fight against the US blockade and the deepening of its diplomatic relations with countries of the five continents.

In a summary of the main results last year of Cuban foreign policy, which publishes on its website, the Foreign Ministry stressed, on account of the economic, commercial and financial siege, the international accompaniment in the call for the end of that unilateral measure imposed since over 55 years.

‘On November 1, for the twenty-sixth consecutive occasion, the resolution Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba was approved by the UN General Assembly, with 191 votes in favor and only 2 against: United States and Israel, ‘Foreign Ministry pointed out.

It was confirmed again -exposed- the absolute global rejection of this policy.

Regarding bilateral ties, the Ministry noted that relations with the 195 States with which Cuba has diplomatic nexuses continued to expand and deepen in 2017.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 162 visits were received in Cuba, including 19 Heads of State, 9 Vice-Presidents or Deputy Prime Ministers, 37 Foreign Ministers, 21 Deputy Foreign Ministers and 76 delegations from other levels.

Likewise, Cuba developed multiple exchanges in the political-diplomatic level and collaboration with the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, among which the participation of President Raul Castro in high-level forums of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

There were also the visits of the First Vice President, Miguel Diaz-Canel, to Nicaragua, Bolivia and Ecuador; and that of Vice President Salvador Valdes to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to attend the inauguration of the international airport of that country. The summary also features the celebration in Havana of the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Association of Caribbean States, the 5th CARICOM-Cuba Ministerial Meeting and the 15th and 16th ALBA Political Councils.

(Prensa Latina)

This is an attack, based on unproven accusations with no legal foundation, on Brazilian democracy and the legitimacy of a government which was elected at the polls by a majority of the people, as has been denounced by the head of state and by former President and PT leader, Luiz Inacio “Lula” Da Silva, and by numerous leaders of left wing political parties and Brazilian social movements.

Since 2003, the year in which the first Workers Party government led by Lula took office, important social programs have been implemented in Brazil, which have had a significant impact within the less privileged population. According to the World Bank, 25 million Brazilians escaped poverty, thanks to programs such as “Bolsa Familia”; “Mi Casa, Mi Vida”; “Más Médicos” and “Hambre Cero”.

Brazil became an influential international actor, a defender of just causes, and a promoter of unity and Latin American and Caribbean integration.

The coup plotting opposition is looking to end the cycle of popular governments of the Workers Party, and thus roll back the social gains won by the Brazilian people, to install a neoliberal government which will allow large transnational companies to plunder the natural resources of this sister Latin American country – especially its immense oil, mineral, water, and biodiversity – and one which will subordinate its foreign policy to hegemonic imperialist interests.

The coup against Brazilian democracy is part of the oligarchy and imperialism’s reactionary counteroffensive against Latin American integration and progressive process in the region. It is, at the same time, directed toward the group of countries known as BRICS, a bloc of powerful economies which have challenged the hegemony of the U.S. dollar.

The Ministry of Foreign Relations of the Republic of Cuba energetically condemns the parliamentary coup underway in Brazil, and resolutely supports the people and the legitimate government of this sister country, as well as President Dilma Rousseff, in defense of the political and economic gains and social accomplishments achieved during the Workers Party governments.

Havana, April 17, 2016

These persons left Cuba in a legal manner to travel to various Latin American countries, meeting the requirements established by Cuban migratory regulations. In an attempt to reach United States territory, they have become victims of traffickers and criminal gangs which unscrupulously profit from their control of the passage of persons through South America, Central America and Mexico.

Cuban authorities have maintained ongoing contact with the governments of the countries involved, with the goal of finding a rapid, appropriate solution, which would take into consideration the wellbeing of the Cuban citizens.

The Ministry of Foreign Relations would like to emphasize that these citizens are victims of the politicization of the migration issue on the part of the United States government, the Cuban-American Adjustment Act, in particular, and the application of the so-called “wet foot-dry foot” policy, which gives Cubans differentiated treatment – the only one of its kind in the world – which admits them immediately and automatically, regardless of the route or means used, even if they arrive in an illegal manner to U.S. territory.

This policy encourages irregular immigration from Cuba to the United States, and constitutes a violation of the letter and spirit of Migratory Accords currently in effect, in which both countries assumed the responsibility to guarantee legal, safe, orderly emigration.

The Ministry of Foreign Relations denounces the U.S. government’s continued maintenance of the so-called Cuban Medical Professional Parole Program, established in 2006 by President George W. Bush, to encourage Cuban doctors and other medical personnel to abandon their missions in third countries, and emigrate to the United States. This is a reprehensible practice, meant to damage Cuban cooperation programs, and deny Cuba and many countries the vital human resources they need.

The Ministry of Foreign Relations reiterates once again that the “wet foot-dry foot” policy and the “Cuban Medical Professional Parole Program” are inconsistent with the current bilateral context, impede to the normalization of migratory relations between Cuba and the United States, and create problems for other countries.

The Ministry of Foreign Relations confirms that Cuban citizens who have left the country legally, and abide by current Cuban migratory law, have the right to return to Cuba, if they so desire.

The Ministry of Foreign Relations reaffirms the Cuban government’s commitment to legal, safe, orderly emigration.

Havana, November 17, 2015

According to the information from the Ministry, last June 28, the OFAC fined one of the most important Italian banks, Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A., compelling it to pay two million 949 thousand 30 dollars.

According to the probe carried out by OFAC, the bank handled 53 transferences in favor of Cuba, from 2004 to 2008.

The Cuban government says the extraterritorial application of this sanction is evidence of the impudence with which the United States treats its European partners and sets a negative precedent for other institutions that do business with Cuba.

Besides this, adds the official note, last July 22nd, the OFAC fined once again another company for violating blockade regulations against Cuba, this time with five million 226 thousand 120 dollars, the biggest sum yet this year.

The victim this time was one of the main touroperator agencies in the US, American Express Travel Related Services Company. This is the second fine in less than one month and the fifth this year, stresses Minrex in an official note published in its digital website.

The OFAC announced this last sanction after concluding a detailed investigation consisting in the US obsession of preventing at all cost that US citizens travel freely to Cuba.

The fine was set off by the alleged sale of 14 thousand 487 air tickets to travel to Cuba from third countries, outside from the licence given to American Express Travel for the groups of “people to people” travel.

At the same time, the Minrex note says the fines reinforce the extraterritorial application of the blockade on companies for their operations in third countries.

The fundamental objective of this criminal and inhumane policy keeps on harming and bearing suffering on the Cuban people, concludes the communique.

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The document focuses on the recommendations accepted by Cuba in February 2009, when the first UPR cycle was presented, disclosed sources of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, body responsible for drawing up the text.

The situation of human rights in Cuba, its judicial framework, the programs guaranteeing them and their implications are included in the report for the forthcoming review to which the 193 U.N. member countries will be subjected.

In the document, published by U.N. some days ago, the Cuban government clarifies its implementation range does not include the territory illegally occupied by the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo, where a detention center operates and is worldwide rejected for its links with tortures.

The text also denounces the economic, trade and financial blockade imposed by Washington for more than 50 years violates the human rights of the Cuban people.

The document collects Cuba’s achievements in matters of education, health, culture, sports, food, protection to children, elderly and disabled people, religious freedom, the treatment to prisoners, gender equality and the empowerment of women as well as the compliance of the Millennium Development Goals.