Another 250,000 euros from Spain for the regime: the Basque Country is funding a project for Havana's 'future'

While the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs is hosting a high-ranking official from the Cuban regime in Madrid and José Daniel Ferrer questions whether the Spanish government will be “the European lifeline for a dying dictatorship,” the Basque Government Council approved the granting of a “direct subsidy” of 250,000 euros to support “the implementation and monitoring of Havana’s Provincial Development Strategy,” reported the Basque Agency for Cooperation and Solidarity. The funds, which will be paid in two installments—150,000 euros in 2026 and 100,000 euros in 2027—constitute an advance on “another grant of the same amount that is being processed by the General Secretariat for External Action and Euskadi Global,” the Basque government stated. He also argued that the Spanish government “has opted for the convenient approach of talking about ‘dialogue,’ 'cooperation,‘ and the 'humanitarian situation,’ while avoiding clearly identifying who is truly responsible.” “Spain has a historical, moral, and political responsibility toward Cuba. It cannot continue to act as if the Cuban tragedy were merely an economic crisis or a temporary setback,” he stated. He added: “Cuba is not in ruins due to a lack of dialogue with Europe, but because of the existence of a tyranny that has seized control of the country.” The “direct subsidy” approved by the Basque Government, which demonstrates how European public funds continue to reach the island, joins previous initiatives promoted by both other autonomous communities and the Spanish government. Thus, the Provincial Council of Zaragoza funded three projects in Cuba classified as “international emergencies,” for a total amount exceeding 100,000 euros. Catalonia, for its part, allocated nearly half a million euros to the island in May, while the Principality of Asturias reported that it seeks to enable Asturians and descendants of Asturians residing in Cuba to access “support that allows them to cover basic subsistence needs.”