Global Unions Reiterate Solidarity with Cuba Amid New U.S. Pressure

More than thirty labor and trade union organizations from over a dozen countries reaffirmed their support for Cuba this Friday during an international solidarity meeting held at the headquarters of the Central de Trabajadores de Cuba (CTC) in Havana.

Via videoconference, union representatives from Mexico, Canada, Spain, Argentina, and the United States expressed their backing amid what they described as intensified economic pressure against the island, following the signing in Washington of an executive order declaring a purported national emergency and authorizing the imposition of tariffs on oil exports from third countries destined for Cuba.

During the exchange, Osnay Miguel Colina Rodríguez, president of the Organizing Commission for the XXII CTC Congress, questioned the arguments put forth by the U.S. administration and denounced that these measures aim to economically strangle the country and directly harm workers and their families.

Colina Rodríguez asserted that in Cuba "there is no failed state," referring to narratives he claimed seek to legitimize external interference. He maintained that the country is facing a policy of maximum pressure that hinders access to essential resources, but emphasized that decisions remain focused on ensuring the continuity of basic services and protecting the right to life.

The union leader thanked the historic accompaniment of the participating organizations, particularly the support provided after the impact of Hurricane Melissa in eastern provinces.

He also warned of the growing risks stemming from extreme weather events linked to climate change and the limitations imposed by the U.S. economic siege—as he noted—on recovery from material damages, which impacts the well-being of Cuban families.

Members of the Organizing Commission for the XXII CTC Congress and the general secretaries of the 15 national unions participated in the meeting.

The international representatives agreed on the need to produce and distribute audiovisual capsules with messages of support directed at the Cuban people, aiming to raise visibility of global union solidarity and back the island's demands on the international stage.

The meeting reaffirmed the coordination among labor organizations from different continents and their call to defend sovereignty and social rights against external coercive measures.