In defense of Cuban sovereignty, peace and self-determination in the Greater Caribbean
El CLACSO Working Group Crisis, responses and alternatives in the Greater Caribbean We, the members of the Virtual Seminar "Problems and Crossroads of Democracy and Sovereignty in the Latin American Caribbean" of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO), address the international community, the peoples of Our America, and public opinion to express our strongest condemnation of the recent threats of military aggression and the escalating repression by the United States government against Cuba. We also invite other CLACSO Working Groups and Member Centers to share this statement.
In this context of growing tension, we call for strict respect for the inalienable right of peoples to sovereignty, territorial integrity, and self-determination, enshrined in international law and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The Charter of the United Nations categorically prohibits the use or threat of force, as well as any interference in the internal affairs of other states. In a world where international law must prevail, Cuba has positioned itself as a champion of genuine multilateralism, upholding the fundamental principle that all countries are equal and have the same rights, regardless of their size or economic power.
Cuba is not a threat to the United States or any other country in the world; on the contrary, its recent history and international projection make it a permanent source of solidarity and cooperation.
Cuba does not sponsor terrorism; on the contrary, it has demonstrated its political will by cooperating with other countries, including the United States itself, in preserving its national security and that of the Greater Caribbean, particularly in the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking. It is a tragic irony that Cuba has been, for decades, the victim of acts of terrorism originating from and financed on U.S. soil.
In the face of any attempt to justify violence, we declare that there is no excuse whatsoever for military aggression by one country against another. Peace is a paramount good that must be protected above any geopolitical interest.
However, the United States government not only threatens to attack Cuba, but also implements a policy of strangulation through a reinforced economic and energy blockade. This unilateral measure is impacting the deterioration of the Cuban people's living conditions, severely affecting access to essential public services such as healthcare, transportation, and education, and particularly the generation of electricity. The blockade and the intensification of sanctions constitute a form of collective punishment that illegally harms the Cuban civilian population, violating the most basic humanitarian principles.
The same government that is threatening Cuba today is responsible for the extrajudicial killing of around 200 people in Caribbean and Pacific waters, without any legal proceedings to prove their alleged link to drug trafficking operations.
In light of this grave situation, we firmly reaffirm that neither Cuba, nor the Caribbean, nor Latin America are the backyard of any power. We reject any vestige of the Monroe Doctrine, recognizing it as an anachronistic, profoundly interventionist policy, laden with hegemonic ambitions that threaten the dignity of our peoples.
From the academic and social-scientific field that brings us together at CLACSO:
We demand an immediate end to the threats of war, the lifting of the blockade, and respect for the self-determination of Cuba and the entire region.
Peace and sovereignty are non-negotiable.
May 22th 2026
CLACSO Working Group Crisis, responses and alternatives in the Greater Caribbean
Participants in the Virtual Seminar "Problems and Crossroads of Democracy and Sovereignty in the Latin American Insular Caribbean"
This text expresses the position of the aforementioned Working Groups and not necessarily that of the centers and institutions that make up the CLACSO international network, its Steering Committee or its Executive Secretariat.
