Foreign Affairs Committee on Feb. 26th, 2026

[John Suarez]

Several hundred are still imprisoned from 2021. There have been other protests that have taken place. There are over 1,200 that we know of. These are partial numbers, because there are no independent actors, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, to visit the prisons and substantiate that. Those are the numbers provided by family members and others who are able to substantiate that number.

You mentioned Patria y Vida. One of the composers of the song, Maykel Castillo, is also in extremely poor health. He's a prisoner of conscience. He's in prison today.

Another individual who appears in the video is Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara. He was one of the 100 most influential people of 2021, according to Time magazine. He was arrested trying to walk out of his home on July 11, 2021. He's also suffering in a Cuban prison today.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

[Member spoke in Spanish, interpreted as follows:]

I would like to ask you a question.

The Cuban ambassador recently stated at this committee that Cuba is mainly a victim of the U.S. blockade, and that this is one of the central reasons for the humanitarian crisis in the country. Could you tell us what you think about that?

[Yaxys Cires]

[Witness spoke in Spanish, interpreted as follows:]

Yes, the real victims of the current situation are the Cuban people. They're not victims of the U.S. embargo. Rather, it's almost seventy years of failed policies and the wrong priorities that give priority to the interests of a military and family elite. We've shown that here today.

Obviously, the ambassador has to defend his policies, but the evidence points in another direction.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Thank you.

I want, on behalf of all our colleagues, to thank you both for your appearance before the committee.

Our next meeting will be on March 10, regarding the situation in Venezuela.

Is it the will of the committee to adjourn the meeting?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Thank you.

We are adjourned.