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Cuba ranks 18th in the latest Human Development Index ranking for Latin America and the Caribbean, above Brazil and Colombia, for example. Besides, according to an ECLAC report, Cuba has a lower unemployment rate than Chile. However, more Cubans emigrate to Brazil, Colombia and Chile than nationals of these three countries do to Cuba. Either the indexes are wrong or else the migratory restrictions in Latin America for Cuban citizens are incomprehensible.
In this regard, there is a double discourse of the Latin American left and right in relation to Cuba.
The left exculpates the old Cuban dictatorship for the U.S. embargo while recognizing the social achievements of the one-party regime, which apparently are not such because their own governments request visas with requirements that are impossible for Cuban citizens to comply with. In other words, why do Petro's Colombia, Lula's Brazil and Boric's Chile ask Cubans for visas to enter their respective countries while they refrain from doing so in the case of Honduras, which is far below Cuba in the Human Development Index?
With the migratory blockade against Cubans, the leftist governments of Latin America are implicitly criticizing the political, economic and social system in force in Cuba since 1959. And they do so with the complicity of the Cuban regime itself, which fears the effects of a freer interaction of its citizens.
On the other hand, the center and right wing governments of Latin America that criticize the lack of freedom in Cuba, such as that of Luis Lacalle Pou in Uruguay or that of Javier Milei in Argentina, do not open the doors to the “freedom of their countries” to the citizens of Cuba. In other words, Cubans cannot exercise private economic initiative in their country, there are no free elections to choose authorities and, in addition, the right to protest is criminalized. Faced with this dictatorial context, the few governments in the region that denounce it block the entry into their respective countries of Cuban citizens who want to live in a country with greater freedom.
As an example, during the Alberto Fernandez administration, particularly stringent requirements were implemented for Cubans seeking to obtain a tourist visa in Argentina. Even those Cubans who wish to settle in the country face additional restrictions at the Argentine Embassy in Cuba when attempting to legalize the documents necessary for residency. A review of the “Legalization Request Form” on the website of the Embassy of the Argentine Republic in Cuba reveals unequal treatment of Cuban citizens. These discriminatory requirements do not apply to other foreigners in similar migratory situations as Cubans. Unfortunately, these policies continue to be in force under the government of the “libertarian” Javier Milei, perpetuating injustice and inequality for those Cuban citizens who aspire to a better life in Argentina.
Likewise, the Latin American embassies in Havana of countries with governments critical of the Cuban dictatorship do not open their doors to democratic leaders and relatives of political prisoners, as do European embassies.
The well-oiled and implacable repressive machinery of Cuba's military regime, which holds the largest number of political prisoners in the region, together with the evident uselessness of the U.S. embargo to bring down the dictatorship, and Latin American insensitivity, create a total blockade to the Cuban people's aspirations for freedom.
We can begin to lift this blockade at least by opening our countries' doors to the citizens of Cuba by eliminating the entry visa, as many have done in the case of Venezuelans and as so many democratic countries in the world did in times of military dictatorships in Latin America.
If Argentina truly wants to support freedom and human rights in Cuba, it must begin by removing the immigration barriers that limit the mobility of its citizens. By opening our doors without restrictions to Cubans, we demonstrate a genuine commitment to the cause of freedom and offer a path to a brighter future for the Cuban people. It is time to act with consistency and solidarity, and allow those seeking to escape oppression to find refuge and opportunities in our countries.
Next May 25, all Argentine Embassies will commemorate the national day. However, it is worrying that dissidents and opponents of the Cuban regime have not been invited to participate in the celebration by the head of the Argentine Embassy in Cuba, including two prominent democratic leaders such as Dagoberto Valdés and Manuel Cuesta Morúa, who when they visited our country were declared “Guest of Honor of the City of Buenos Aires”.
Moreover, the fact that she has not met with any of them raises concerns about the lack of inclusion and dialogue with important voices in the Cuban community. It is essential to ensure that all sectors of Cuban society are represented and heard, especially at national commemoration events. This exclusion only deepens the division and contradicts the democratic values that Argentina should promote as a country.
