After a four-day solidarity and pastoral visit to Cuba, an international ecumenical delegation, in a statement, expressed the support and compassionate care, particularly regarding the grave humanitarian and human rights impacts of the unilateral economic embargo imposed on Cuba by the US for more than six and a half decades.
“The most vulnerable people include 5 million people living with chronic illnesses whose treatments are at risk of disruption and 1 million people who rely on tanker trucks for drinking water,” reads the statement. “The delegation sought to convey the solidarity of the global ecumenical fellowship with the churches and people of Cuba suffering these impacts.”
The programme of the visit included meetings with church leaders, the Cuban Council of Churches, government officials, and local communities.
“Discussions focused on the humanitarian situation, the role of churches in accompanying vulnerable communities, and the need for policies that prioritize human dignity,” reads the statement. “Throughout the visit, delegation members witnessed and heard painful testimonies of the suffering of the Cuban people in this situation.”
Added to the economic and humanitarian challenges, the Cuban people live under the threat of possible US military invasion. “At the conclusion of this visit, discussions with the Cuban Council of Churches have begun on the possibility of convening an international ecumenical forum, to strengthen solidarity among churches of the world with the Cuban churches and people, and to raise awareness on the international stage of the cruelty and injustice of the indiscriminate collective punishment inflicted on them,” reads the statement.
