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e-3573 (Foreign affairs)

E-petition
Initiated by Michael Lima from Niagara Falls, Ontario

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the Government of Canada

Whereas:
  • Canadian foreign policy supports a future for Cuba that fully embraces the fundamental values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law;
  • The Cuban people have expressed their desire to live in a democracy, as evidenced by the July 11 protests, in which more than 187,000 Cubans peacefully took to the streets throughout Cuba to demand freedom; and
  • Politically motivated arrest and incarceration of thousands of protesters, artists and activists have intensified to the point that on July 11, 2021, Cuba surpassed Nicaragua and Venezuela combined in the number of political prisoners, a repressive scale not seen in decades.
We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:
1. Call on the Cuban regime to immediately and unconditionally release all those detained and imprisoned for the exercise of their freedom of expression and peaceful assembly;
2. Join Amnesty International and the United Nations and demand the release of José Daniel Ferrer, Luis Manuel Otero, Esteban Rodríguez, Maykel Castillo «Osorbo» and all prisoners of conscience in Cuba;
3. Use the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act to sanction high-ranking officials in Cuba responsible for perpetrating gross human rights violations, repression, abductions, arbitrary arrests, persecution, torture and beating of peaceful protesters and pro-democracy activists;
4. Urge the Cuban regime to submit to the will of the people through free, fair, and multi-party elections; and
5. Recognize all pro-democracy organizations in the island as valid and formal representatives of the Cuban people and engage in conversations with them as part of bilateral relations between Canada and Cuba.

Response by the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Rob Oliphant

The Government of Canada is deeply concerned by the violent crackdown and arbitrary arrests of activists, journalists and protestors following the July 2021 protests. Canada strongly advocates for freedom of expression, freedom of movement, and the right to peaceful assembly free from intimidation, throughout the world, including Cuba. The Government of Canada’s commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights and democracy was underscored by the Prime Minister’s public comments in July 2021, and the former Minister of Foreign Affairs’ discussion with Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez of Cuba in late July 2021. Most recently in February of this year, Global Affairs Canada reiterated these concerns in a social media post condemning Cuba’s harsh sentences following the July protests.

Canada has a multifaceted, constructive relationship with Cuba and engages regularly to discuss political and commercial relations, as well as to raise concerns over the protection of human rights and democratic principles in Cuba. Canada remains committed to working with Cuba in the preservation and strengthening of an international rules-based order and in ensuring that human rights are respected. This is a standing agenda item in Canada’s annual bilateral consultations with Cuba at the officials’ level. This regular engagement allows for a frank exchange, including Canada raising issues of concern, including concerns over infringement to the rights to free expression and to peaceful assembly and to freedom of the press.

Canada also understands that the U.S. embargo has a negative impact on the living conditions of the Cuban people and on Canadians conducting legitimate trade and investment in Cuba. Canada has adopted measures to mitigate the extra-territorial effects of the U.S. embargo against Cuba through the enactment of the Foreign Extraterritorial Measurers Act (1985) and subsequent orders. Moreover, Canada has consistently voted in favour of Cuba’s annual resolution at the UN General Assembly calling for an end to the U.S. embargo.

To respond to humanitarian needs in Cuba, in 2020, Canada provided $480,000 in funding to international partners such as PAHO, Oxfam and CARE for the purchase of medical supplies to help Cuba respond to the pandemic and its impact on vulnerable segments of the population. More recently, Canada provided $1 million to the World Food Programme for food support targeting the most vulnerable populations. Canada has a longstanding relationship with Cuba, including a development assistance program to address persistent challenges such as food insecurity and gender inequality.

The Government of Canada will continue to monitor the situation and work with likeminded partners to ensure our respective and collective responses to the situation in Cuba support the rights and legitimate democratic aspirations of the Cuban people. Canada will continue to promote and protect the rights and legitimate democratic aims of the Cuban people.

Open for signature
October 19, 2021, at 10:02 a.m. (EDT)
Closed for signature
December 18, 2021, at 10:02 a.m. (EDT)
Presented to the House of Commons
Tony Baldinelli (Niagara Falls)
March 4, 2022 (Petition No. 441-00209)
Government response tabled
April 25, 2022
Photo - Tony Baldinelli
Niagara Falls
Conservative Caucus
Ontario