On October 16, 2025, a flurry of developments cast a harsh spotlight on Cubas political landscape and its increasingly fraught international relationships. U.S. Congressman Mario Daz-Balart took to social media and the halls of Congress to denounce European governments for what he described as their "irresponsible and counterproductive" support of the Cuban regime. His accusations, delivered both online and in a recent national security briefing, centered on claims that Cuba is not only repressing its own people but also actively collaborating with Russia in its ongoing war against Ukraine.
According to Daz-Balart, European countries have been quick to condemn U.S. sanctions against Cuba while simultaneously providing financial aid and debt relief to Havana. "It is irresponsible and counterproductive for European allies to condemn the sanctions imposed by the United States while simultaneously providing assistance and debt relief to the Cuban regime, especially when thousands of Cubans have been deployed in Russia," Daz-Balart wrote in a post on X, as reported by CELEBRITAX. He further urged, "Europe must stop financing a regime that supports Putin, oppresses the Cubans, and extends its malign influence in America and Europe."
This sharp rebuke comes amid mounting evidencecited by both U.S. officials and Ukrainian intelligencethat the Cuban government is involved in sending its citizens to Russia, ostensibly to support logistical operations related to the conflict in Ukraine. The congressman, along with fellow lawmakers Mara Elvira Salazar and Carlos Gimenez, pointed to cases such as that of Giovani Gmez Basulto, a Cuban national who died in Ukraine, as evidence of what they describe as the regime's "profiting from the dispatch of young Cubans as contracted soldiers for Russia." These lawmakers allege that many recruits are either coerced or deceived with false promises of employment, only to find themselves on the front lines of a brutal conflict.
Washington's stance has been echoed by Cuban exile organizations, who have long warned of the regime's willingness to exploit its citizens for economic and political gain. The U.S. administration's hardline approach is also reflected in Daz-Balart's recent call for an investigation into Cuban American musicians who have performed concerts on the island. In a letter to the Department of the Treasury, he warned that such events could constitute violations of U.S. sanctions, as they generate income for entities controlled by the Cuban government. He singled out a concert at PABEXPO, attended by high-ranking officials of the regime, stating, "Appearing before a dictatorship is not 'art,' but complicity."
The European Commission, for its part, has defended its ongoing cooperation agreement with Cuba. In statements reported by CELEBRITAX, Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, acknowledged that the agreement "has not yet produced the desired changes," but argued that "breaking the agreement will not free political prisoners nor improve the situation on the island." The Commission maintains that European funds are channeled to NGOs and civil projects, not directly to the Cuban government, and that the agreement provides a framework for dialogue on human rights.
Yet, for many activists and politicians, these assurances ring hollow. The October report from the Madrid-based NGO Prisoners Defenders, covered by VOZ, painted a grim picture of the human rights situation on the island. The report revealed that 13 new political prisoners were added in the past month, bringing the total to 1,185. Among the newly detained are two teenage girls, including 16-year-old Eliane Martn, who is pregnant. Both Martn and 17-year-old Leroy Hernandez Escalona were arrested following peaceful protests on September 17 in Maniabn, where residents demanded the restoration of electricity and water supply.
Prisoners Defenders condemned Martn's detention, emphasizing the lack of judicial protection and independent legal counsel for the minor. Family members have been left in the dark regarding her health and whereabouts. "The case of Eliane Martn symbolizes the extreme degree of repression that reaches even minors and pregnant women in Cuba," the organization stated. Hernandez, meanwhile, is being held at the headquarters of Instruccin Provincial de Las Tunas, which activists have described as a "torture center" due to repeated reports of mistreatment and inhumane conditions.
Cuban authorities, for their part, accuse the detained youths of crimes ranging from attacks against the police to enemy propaganda, public disorder, and sabotage. Witnesses and close associates, however, maintain that the demonstrations were entirely peaceful. The Prisoners Defenders report also highlights that, among the 1,185 political prisoners, 36 were arrested as minors, with 30 currently serving sentences and six under criminal proceedings without proper judicial safeguards. The report further notes that 472 prisoners suffer from serious illnesses and 40 have mental disorders, yet lack access to adequate treatment.
The Cuban government has consistently denied the existence of political prisoners, asserting that recruitment for the war in Ukraine is orchestrated by networks operating in Europe, not Havana. Nevertheless, multiple investigations and testimonies have contradicted this stance, pointing to the presence of Cubans fighting in Russian units, many of whom were reportedly lured by false promises.
Amid these developments, international tensions have only grown more acute. As reported by Medium, several Latin American countries, including Venezuela, have recently reached out diplomatically to the White House in an attempt to avert a potential U.S. attack on Venezuela. These efforts were rebuffed by the Trump administration, which cut off communication with Caracas and signaled that war was imminent. President Donald Trump's public admission that the CIA was conducting operations in Venezuela further inflamed regional anxieties, putting U.S. agents in the country at increased risk. The CIA's longstanding presence in Latin Americamarked by attempted coups, terrorist attacks, and the smuggling of U.S. military weaponshas only heightened suspicions and fueled calls for caution.
Recent attempts to stoke uprisings in Venezuela, including actions by Erik Prince of Blackwater fame, underscore the volatile environment. The exclusion of Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela from the upcoming Summit of the Americas has prompted several Latin American nations to boycott the event, reflecting deep divisions over U.S. policy in the region.
In the midst of these international disputes, there have been small but significant victories for Cuban human rights activists. On October 13, 2025, well-known dissidents Jos Daniel Ferrer and Luis Robles Elizstgui departed Cuba, an event that Prisoners Defenders hailed as a milestone for the defense of freedom and human rights on the island.
This complex web of accusations, denials, and diplomatic maneuvers reveals just how difficult it is to untangle questions of justice, sovereignty, and foreign influence in Cuba and beyond. As the world watches, the fate of those caught in the crossfirefrom political prisoners to ordinary citizensremains uncertain, their stories a stark reminder of the human cost of geopolitical strife.
