Spain, Brazil and Mexico have pledged to increase aid to Cuba to help ease a humanitarian crisis they attribute to a US blockade. In a joint statement, the three governments also called for dialogue, warned against any military intervention and said the Cuban people must determine their own future.
The statement followed a summit in Barcelona where Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez hosted Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, part of a gathering of left-leaning leaders defending multilateralism and democracy amid the rise of the far right.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened military action against Cuba and imposed an oil blockade that has contributed to nationwide blackouts and severe shortages. Trump also suggested the possibility of “taking” Cuba after launching a war with Iran on February 28, drawing sharp criticism from European progressives.
Sánchez, a prominent critic of Trump and of possible US military operations against Iran, said democracy cannot be taken for granted and condemned recent attacks on the multilateral system, international law and the normalization of force. He has previously angered Trump by refusing to allow US use of Spanish bases for operations against Iran and by opposing large increases in Spanish military spending.
Among those attending the Barcelona events were South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, Colombia’s Gustavo Petro and Germany’s Finance Minister and SPD leader Lars Klingbeil. The gathering included the IV Meeting in Defense of Democracy and the inaugural Global Progressive Mobilization. Klingbeil told activists the far right is international, so progressives must be as well.
Sánchez denounced the global far right, saying its loud rhetoric reflected a recognition that its vision is failing amid trade tensions, wars, climate denial, xenophobia and sexism. Trump responded on his Truth Social platform, accusing Spain of poor financial performance and criticizing its contributions to NATO.
Sheinbaum’s visit — her first to Spain since taking office in October 2024 — helped mend ties strained since 2019 when Mexico urged Spain to apologize for abuses during colonization. Last month, Spain’s King Felipe VI acknowledged that there had been “a lot of abuse” during Spain’s colonial conquests, though Sheinbaum said there had never been a diplomatic crisis between the countries.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s opposition leader in exile, María Corina Machado, attended a right-wing rally in Madrid and declined to meet Sánchez. In Milan, far-right leaders and thousands of demonstrators rallied against irregular immigration and the EU, days after Hungarian populist Viktor Orbán lost an election to a pro-EU candidate.
Edited by: Alex Berry
