The committee met to study the humanitarian situation in Cuba, hearing from four witnesses: Kirenia Carbonell of the Cuban Canadians Coalition, Carolina Barrero Ferrer of Citizens and Freedom, Yaxys Cires of the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights, and John Suarez of the Center for a Free Cuba.
Kirenia Carbonell argued that Cuba's crisis is structural and caused by domestic mismanagement, not external factors, citing a 15% GDP contraction since 2020, triple-digit inflation, and a regime that prioritizes luxury hotels over health care and the power grid. She recommended that Canada direct humanitarian aid exclusively through independent faith-based and civil society channels, advocate for the unconditional release of all political prisoners, ensure Canadian trade does not benefit military-controlled entities like GAESA, and increase protection for independent journalists and human rights defenders.
Carolina Barrero Ferrer described the situation as a systemic collapse, not a temporary crisis, noting that GAESA holds $18.5 billion in cash reserves while Cubans face blackouts, toxic smoke from burning garbage, and political repression. She urged Canada to condition all bilateral relationships on protecting civil and political rights, impose Magnitsky-style sanctions on officials responsible for human rights violations, and make the unconditional freeing of political prisoners a non-negotiable prerequisite for any bilateral engagement.
Yaxys Cires presented data showing 89% of Cubans live in extreme poverty, seven out of 10 forgo at least one daily meal, and only 3% can obtain medicine from public pharmacies, with the regime prioritizing hotel construction over basic services. He proposed that Canada participate in a coordinated international response promoting real economic and political opening, deliver humanitarian support directly through churches and civil society, and press Cuban authorities to reform the labour regime governing foreign investment, which he said systematically violates workers' rights.
John Suarez argued that the crisis is driven by the inefficiencies of Cuba's communist system, not U.S. sanctions, citing the Acopio system's control over agriculture and the regime's resale of subsidized Venezuelan oil. He recommended establishing an international humanitarian corridor to bypass the regime, using Caritas and independent civil society for aid distribution, and pushing for the International Committee of the Red Cross to access Cuban prisons, noting that the last such visit was in 1989.
All witnesses agreed that the regime's centralized mismanagement and corruption are the primary causes of the crisis, and they disagreed with the view that U.S. sanctions are a major factor. They consistently recommended that Canada bypass state-linked organizations and work with independent civil society and faith-based groups for aid delivery, with Suarez and Cires also calling for diplomatic pressure on Havana to allow independent monitoring of prisons and aid distribution.
The committee heard opening statements and rounds of questions from members, with no procedural debate, motions, or votes recorded during this portion of the meeting.
AI-generated summary — may contain errors; verify against the official evidence.