The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bernúdez, received George Katrougalos, Independent Expert of the Human Rights Council on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, at the Palace of the Revolution this Wednesday. Katrougalos is in Cuba on an academic visit.
The president expressed his gratitude for his working visit to the island, "during these very complex times we are living through," and added that he fondly recalled the exchange during the International Conference for the Balance of the World in January 2025.
Díaz-Canel referred to the statements made in the Human Rights Council in favor of Cuba, reaffirmed the Caribbean nation's commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, and assured that his country will continue to cooperate with UN mechanisms on this sensitive issue.
He described in detail the difficult situation Cuba is experiencing as a consequence of the blockade imposed by the United States government for more than 60 years. The most perverse aspect of this policy, he asserted, is its prolonged duration.
"It is the longest-lasting blockade in the history of humanity; an economic, financial, commercial, and now energy blockade, but not by just any country, but by the most powerful nation in the world."
The Head of State assured the independent expert from the Human Rights Council that Cuba's decision "is not to surrender and to resist, but also to be able to move forward." "That means," he noted, "being capable, with our own effort and our own talent, of overcoming the most adverse conditions of the blockade."
During the exchange—which included Cuban Political Bureau member and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla—George Katrougalos thanked the Cuban authorities for their support and cooperation in carrying out his academic visit, which he considered very productive.
He addressed the challenges facing multilateralism and the United Nations system in the current context, marked by evident violations of international law; and he referred to several pronouncements in the Human Rights Council regarding the illegality of the United States blockade and the energy embargo.
The independent expert noted that the international community is increasingly aware of the effects of these policies against Cuba and their impact on the population, and he acknowledged the island's traditional willingness to cooperate with the United Nations.
During his stay in Cuba, George Katrougalos delivered a lecture at an academic event on the current international order, organized by the Union of Jurists of Cuba and the University of Havana and the Faculty of International Relations.
He also held discussions with officials from the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Minrex), the president of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), Fernando González Llort, members of Cuban civil society, and representatives of the United Nations.
As part of his visit, the expert also toured the Latin American School of Medicine, which has graduated more than 31,000 doctors from some 122 countries; and the Quisicuaba Assisted Living Center, which provides shelter, care, and social reintegration for vulnerable individuals.
This visit, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "constitutes a further expression of Cuba's cooperation with the universal and non-discriminatory human rights mechanisms of the United Nations, in accordance with its commitment to respectful dialogue, multilateralism,Miguel Díaz-Canel, Human Rights Council, George Katrougalos, meeting
