A delegation of European and Italian lawmakers alongside European civil society representatives, participating in the dual ‘Route to Cuba’ solidarity initiative and the ‘Energy for Life: Let’s Turn on the Light in Cuba’ caravan, has concluded a visit to Havana where the group forcefully denounced Washington’s long-running ‘maximum pressure’ policy against the Caribbean island nation.
In an exclusive interview with Cuba’s state-run news agency Prensa Latina, delegation member Barbera, representing the NGO Nexus, outlined that the organization’s core overarching objective is to bring an end to the economic, commercial and financial blockade that the U.S. government first imposed on Cuba more than six decades ago.
Barbera explained that the on-the-ground visit to Cuba was designed to let delegation members observe the island’s current social and economic conditions directly, rather than relying on secondhand accounts. This firsthand observation, he noted, will lay the groundwork for a new training program aimed at Italian workers and trade union leaders. The program will center on sharing the lived experiences of Cuban civilians including laborers, older adults, children and women, who have navigated daily life under the constraints of the blockade for generations.
Already, the ‘Energy for Life’ campaign has delivered tangible, life-changing benefits to thousands of ordinary Cuban residents and dozens of the country’s public institutions spanning cultural, educational and healthcare sectors, through the installation of donated photovoltaic solar energy systems. These systems have helped alleviate persistent energy shortages that have been exacerbated by U.S. restrictions.
Because the U.S. blockade cuts off Cuba from accessing most international credit lines, advanced technology and critical industrial equipment, the solidarity-focused NGO fills a critical gap by acting as an alternative, independent channel for securing financing and sourcing the essential goods that Cuban communities and institutions need to function.