Solidarity with Cuba and Silvio Rodríguez in Bilbao

The city of Bilbao, in the Basque Country, will host a solidarity march with Cuba on Saturday, September 12, alongside a concert by acclaimed singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez. The initiative is promoted by Euskal Herria-Kuba Ekimena, the internationalist platform Hegoak—which brings together some twenty Basque unions, political parties, and NGOs—alongside the Euskadi-Cuba association and various social and political actors.

According to event organizers, the march will denounce the severe situation facing the Cuban people due to the economic siege and energy blockade imposed by the U.S. administration, as well as the inaction of most governments in the face of a massive human rights violation that is condemned annually at the United Nations.

The demonstration will depart from the entrance of the Guggenheim Museum, proceed along Muelle Evaristo Churruca, and arrive at the Euskalduna Palace, where at 8:30 p.m. local time Silvio Rodríguez will perform with his band.

The rally will also support the solidarity campaign “Argia eta Indarra Kubarentzat. Against the Blockade, Energy for Cuba,” which raises funds for solar energy installations destined for hospitals on the island. The campaign has been endorsed by 130 leading intellectuals and artists from Basque culture, including Bernardo Atxaga, Fermin Muguruza, Itziar Ituño, Joseba Sarrionaindia, Eñaut Elorrieta, Jon Maia, and Katixa Agirre.

Through May, the first phase of the campaign raised nearly 245,000 euros, and assembly has already begun on the first solar installation at the William Soler Pediatric Hospital in Havana.

According to the call to action, these efforts represent organized Basque citizens' response to the economic and energy siege imposed on Cuba by the administration of Donald Trump and Marco Rubio. The policy of “maximum pressure” against Cuba, applied since 2019, has resulted in a country that once achieved notable health indicators now having access to only one-third of necessary medications, with infant mortality on the rise, organizers noted.

Furthermore, since January, the White House has imposed an oil blockade on the island and, through threats and sanctions, has succeeded in dismantling Cuba's main revenue sources—tourism, overseas medical services, and remittances—while also forcing the departure of many foreign companies with investments in the country.

In recent days, Silvio Rodríguez began his Spanish tour with a successful concert in Barcelona, where he was celebrated by thousands at the Gran Teatre del Liceu. His tour continued in Zaragoza at the Príncipe Felipe Pavilion with another notable success. He will then perform in Bilbao on September 12 and 13 at the Euskalduna Palace, followed by Valencia on September 16 at the Roig Arena; A Coruña on September 19 at the Coliseum; Seville on September 25 and 26 at the FIBES exhibition center. He will conclude his tour in Murcia on October 1 at the Plaza de Toros, with a final performance in Madrid on October 4 at the Movistar Arena.