It is up to the Cuban people, in full autonomy and in accordance with the right to self-determination, to decide what kind of future to build. This is the principle that underpinned the meeting between a delegation from the ‘Rotta su Cuba’ Caravan and the President of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez.

Italian parliamentarians, representatives of civil society organisations, trade unions and co-operation bodies – all of whom are promoting the campaign – discussed with the President the current situation facing the country, clearly reaffirming the Italian people’s solidarity with Cuba.
The President thanked the delegation for their commitment and the solidarity shown towards the Cuban people, describing the Caravan’s initiative as “a highly effective form of collaboration”. Bringing together civil society, parliamentarians and journalists on a single journey represents, for Díaz-Canel, “an important and positive development”, capable of strengthening the international anti-fascist movement that Europe and the Americas need.
The President made no secret of the gravity of the situation: Cuba is in difficulty – “great difficulty”, he said – “strangled day after day on every front” by the US blockade, as the delegation was able to see for itself during their meetings over the past few days, from hospitals to schools, and from water supply systems to energy networks. Yet despite this, Díaz-Canel added, Cuba continues to build its future on the island and across the world, through the very close ties it maintains and which, indeed, it is strengthening at this time.

The meeting thus confirms the deeper meaning of the Caravan’s presence in Cuba: full respect for the Cuban people’s right to self-determination, free from economic blackmail or external interference, remains the guiding principle behind every decision on cooperation, both today and in the next stages of the journey that has begun.

Press offices:

Francesco Verdolino – ARCS – 3398129813 – francesco.verdolino@hotmail.it

Valerio Bianchi – ARCI – 3200885573 – vbianchi@arcinazionale.it