Evidence of meeting #22 for Subcommittee on International Human Rights in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was children.
A video is available from Parliament.
Co-Chair, Canadian Network on Cuba
The intent of the United States blockade against Cuba is to create terrible conditions for the Cuban people through economic sanctions in the hopes that they will blame and overthrow their government. This is openly discussed by U.S. politicians. This is overt political interference and collective punishment, using the engineered suffering of the Cuban people as a cudgel to try to impose changes in Cuba that benefit United States finance capital and the wealthy, extremist exile community, which does not care at all about the well-being of Cubans and would like to see a recolonization.
Any discussion on human rights in Cuba must begin with the blockade.
Thank you, Chair.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Fayçal El-Khoury
Thank you.
Now I'll invite Mr. Alejandro Gonzalez to take the floor for four minutes, please.
Alejandro Gonzalez Executive Director, Cuban Observatory of Human Rights
[Witness spoke in Spanish, interpreted as follows:]
Mr. Chair and honourable members, I appear before this House today to speak about something fundamental: the dignity of people who, for more than six decades, have lived under a regime that has made fear its method of governance and silence its instrument of power.
I'd like to begin with the facts, if I may.
In 2025, we documented 3,179 politically motivated acts of repression in Cuba. In other words, every 24 hours, at least eight actions are carried out against the rights and freedoms of a Cuban citizen. These include arbitrary arrests, beatings, fines and restrictions preventing individuals from leaving their homes.
These are for political and conscience-related reasons. What crime did they commit?
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
On a point of order, Mr. Chair.
Unfortunately, there are connection issues, which means health and safety issues for our interpreters.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
I'm just telling you when it's pointed out to me in the earpiece. Then it's up to you to make the decision and check with the interpreters. I'm just the messenger.
Executive Director, Cuban Observatory of Human Rights
[Witness spoke in Spanish, interpreted as follows:]
What crime have these people committed? None. They simply exercised their peaceful right to express themselves, to demonstrate or to think differently. All of them were convicted without the guarantee of due process by judges affiliated with the Communist Party of Cuba, who follow the dictates of the political police.
In 2025, we also documented at least 875 violations of religious freedom while the state continued to deny legal recognition to hundreds of independent religious movements. This not only constitutes a violation of freedom of association, but also hinders the humanitarian work that these communities carry out on behalf of the poorest and most vulnerable members of society.
Furthermore, our eighth report on the state of social rights, published in 2025 and based on more than 1,300 interviews conducted across 70 municipalities throughout the island, documents an unprecedented social catastrophe.
Today, 89% of Cuban families live in extreme poverty. Seven out of 10 Cubans acknowledge having gone without food at some point due to shortages. Among the elderly, the situation is even more heartbreaking. Eight out of 10 people over the age of 61 have had to forgo breakfast, lunch or dinner. Only 15 out of every 100 households have consistent access to safe drinking water. Faced with such hopelessness, 78% of Cubans want to emigrate. Entire generations no longer dream of building their country; they dream of escaping it.
All of this has occurred while the ruling elite has continued to conduct business around the world, with the conglomerate accumulating assets estimated at $18 billion—figures that the U.S. Department of State places at as much as $20 billion.
Honourable members, there is a truth that this committee must hear honestly. We did not arrive at this situation solely because of the will of the oppressors. We also got to this point because governments in the free world for decades chose to sign agreements, extend credit or receive the perpetrators with state honours. Every handshake normalized the dictatorship. It became [Technical difficulty—Editor].
I agree with the Cuban Canadians Coalition when it states [Technical difficulty—Editor]. Likewise, I can say that when I was unjustly imprisoned for promoting a civic initiative that was fully grounded in law, every gesture of international solidarity was, for me and my family, a breath of fresh air and a reaffirmation of my human dignity.
Therefore, I urge this Parliament to explicitly recognize the existence of political prisoners in Cuba and to demand their immediate and unconditional release. [Technical difficulty—Editor].
I would like to allow, if I may, one final request, which is also a matter of justice. Sooner or later, Cuba will be free, and the victims of the Castro regime will have the right to reparation. I therefore invite this Parliament and all governments that for decades sustained, financed or legitimized the regime to contribute to the creation of an international reparations fund for the victims of the Cuban regime.
Those who supported the regime when it was putting its own citizens into prison need to do something that goes beyond words and show concrete acts of reparation. A freedom that does not repair the harm suffered by its victims remains incomplete.
Cubans are not asking for charity. They're asking for the very same principles that you defend every day here in this committee: the right to choose those who govern them, the right to live in freedom.
Thank you very much.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Fayçal El-Khoury
Thank you.
Now I would like to invite Mr. Javier Larrondo to take the floor for five minutes, please.
Javier Larrondo President, Prisoners Defenders
Thank you, honourable members.
World Prison Brief reports 90,000 prisoners, 1% of Cuba's population.... Prisoners Defenders verifies 1,281 political prisoners, including 34 condemned minors, even two in maximum security prisons among adult criminals, and [Technical difficulty—Editor]. Many are mothers forcibly deprived of their children.
[Technical difficulty—Editor] in UN arbitrary detention victims, over twice those in Venezuela and three times those in Nicaragua or Mexico, and fourth in enforced disappearance UN urgent actions.
The United Nations has repeatedly condemned Cuba's structural due process violations. Prosecutors imprison without oversight; defence lawyers depend on the Minister of Justice; courts, prosecutors and lawyers are politically controlled; defence expert evidence is barred; fundamental rights are criminalized; all penal theories are badly defined; and civilians face summary military courts. All of this was confirmed by six special rapporteurs and other UN bodies.
Some 11,000 people, not counted as political prisoners, are in prison without a crime for a pre-crime, as they're “prone” to destabilizing social order. Among political prisoners, 449 suffer serious medical conditions from hunger, ill treatment, repression and denial of care. There are 52 others who have severe pre-existing mental disorders, all untreated.
Average daily prison rations are under 300 kilocalories, less than 15% of survival needs. Families bring food and guards steal it. [Technical difficulty—Editor] left with custody-developed cancer, hepatitis and Auschwitz-like malnutrition. Political prisoners are being [Technical difficulty—Editor]. The committee against torture adopted findings from almost 200 random political prisoner cases we documented. All were tortured. [Technical difficulty—Editor], and Jonathan Torres Farrat, 17 years old, suffered 15 patterns.
Some 60,000 inmates produce charcoal sold in Canada and Europe as eco-friendly, and Habano cigars. They work 14 hours a day, weekends included, under 75-cigar quotas and no real wage. [Technical difficulty—Editor] had to acknowledge it.
In 1959, many believed Cuba chose democracy. Fraud led to a Communist, Stalinist and Soviet system. [Technical difficulty—Editor] faced eight years in prison for quitting, as confirmed and condemned by the UN and the IACHR.
For 67 years, Cuba has been in hell, not paradise. Sanctions do not justify regime crimes against humanity, as they are set to punish the crimes. In 2021, Cubans peacefully took to the streets, shouting, “Patria y Vida” and “Freedom”. [Technical difficulty—Editor] and over 2,500 prosecutions.
Do Cubans have a real chance against this tyranny? None. That is [Technical difficulty—Editor] anymore. The universal declaration's supreme right to rebel against tyranny is impossible for Cubans, but Canada can exercise a responsibility [Technical difficulty—Editor] with every possible force, in coordination with the United States, to secure the best and fastest change in Cuba.
Thank you very much, members.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
On a point of order, Mr. Chair.
It went relatively well for our interpreter friends, because they'd received the opening remarks ahead of time.
However, when we start the question and answer period in the next few minutes, it'll be much more difficult for them to do their job. Obviously, they won't have received the texts ahead of time.
I just want to raise that point, because they're unionized workers and they have a right to a safe workplace. Unfortunately, because of technical issues, that may not be the case at the moment. I would ask you to be very vigilant about that.
More importantly, I would ask my interpreter friends to tell me in the earpiece if they can't do their job. That's not a problem. We'll make sure you're okay.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Fayçal El-Khoury
Okay. I invite them to let us know if there's an issue.
Now I would like to start the first and last round of questions and answers.
I would invite Madame Kronis to take the floor for five minutes, please.
Conservative
Tamara Kronis Conservative Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
[Member spoke in Spanish, interpreted as follows:]
Thank you, Chair.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Fayçal El-Khoury
[Member spoke in Spanish, interpreted as follows:]
You're welcome.
Conservative
Tamara Kronis Conservative Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
[Member spoke in Spanish, interpreted as follows:]
I would like to thank all of the witnesses for being here with us today.
Mr. Gonzalez, what are the most urgent humanitarian needs that Cubans have right now, and where could Canada's support truly make a difference immediately?
Executive Director, Cuban Observatory of Human Rights
[Witness spoke in Spanish, interpreted as follows:]
Right now, the Cuban people have many needs, like medication and food. The situation Cuba is in right now is extremely serious and severe. There is no fuel, there's no electricity and there's no power. The country simply is not functioning. There is no way of distributing the food that does arrive on the island.
What would be most helpful from anyone who's sending anything to Cuba is to send medications. I would suggest that this be done in ways that are alternative to giving it to the government. It's important to find ways of getting food to the Cuban people, and other things like medication and hygiene products as well.
The health care situation has gone downhill in Cuba. There has to be an effort to improve it.
Conservative
Tamara Kronis Conservative Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
[Member spoke in Spanish, interpreted as follows:]
I will give the rest of my time to my colleague from Calgary Heritage.
Conservative
Shuv Majumdar Conservative Calgary Heritage, AB
Javier Larrondo, your commentary was cut a little short due to technical difficulties. I think you'll have a couple of minutes to respond to the question that was interrupted.
What is your view, generally speaking, on the current stance Canada and the United States take or could take in regard to providing assistance to Cuba, holding the regime accountable, helping the people and helping transition toward a free Cuba?
President, Prisoners Defenders
[Witness spoke in Spanish, interpreted as follows:]
First of all, in terms of humanitarian aid, most important is that it not go into the hands of the government. If it goes to the government, it will be sold [Technical difficulty—Editor] in dollars. It's important to use the channels that are being used now: the Catholic Church, for example, and Caritas, as the United States is doing. Furthermore, with the United States, you could have Caritas and the church have more infrastructure—that is to say, freezers, fridges and transportation systems—so they can provide more food to all of Cuba. That's essential.
Cuba is absolutely [Technical difficulty—Editor] 1% of the population [Technical difficulty—Editor] 11,000 are in pre-custody. Cuba has a massive repression issue, where new political prisoners are put in prison all the time. The regime needs to understand that it needs to change or transition. The only thing that counts for the regime is that it be done in public, not in private.
There needs to be strong pressure on the regime, with those who do it like the United States. Canada and the United States having an alliance would be very positive, because you would have the opportunity to influence that pressure so that it would be of a nature that you would like more. Sometimes there's criticism, so intervene with pressure, never by sending goods to the regime, which will keep it in power.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Fayçal El-Khoury
Thank you.
I invite Mr. Zuberi to take the floor for five minutes.
Liberal
Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
Thank you to all the witnesses for being here for this important study.
I would like to start with Mr. Gonzalez and pick up on a theme that has already been asked about in questions. With respect to humanitarian aid, do you have any ideas, in addition to what has been said so far, on how we can make sure it goes to the people?
Executive Director, Cuban Observatory of Human Rights
[Witness spoke in Spanish, interpreted as follows:]
The reality in Cuba is that the day-to-day is complex, but there need to be alternative ways, with independent civil society. There need to be distribution networks. It's important.
Liberal
Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC
Can you talk about those distribution networks again? You cut out a bit.
Executive Director, Cuban Observatory of Human Rights
[Witness spoke in Spanish, interpreted as follows:]
I echo what Mr. Larrondo said. You can't give the aid directly to the regime, because the regime will sell it in dollars to the people. [Technical difficulty—Editor]—