As an unequivocal expression of the deepening of ties with its nationals abroad—in this case, with Cubans and their descendants living in Ireland—the Consular Office of the Cuban Embassy in Dublin has convened the First National Meeting of Cubans Residing in Ireland and Their Descendants for 11 October. The date was chosen to coincide with the 157th anniversary of the “Grito de Yara,” which marked the beginning of the independence process led by Carlos Manuel de Céspedes on 10 October 1868.
The date was chosen for its patriotic connotation and the implicit message of defence of Cuba’s existence as a free and sovereign nation.
Since the so-called Dialogues of 1978, the Cuban government has shown a clear political will to recognise and engage in dialogue with its citizens who emigrate. These dialogues, promoted by Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, initiated a process of rapprochement and strengthening ties with Cubans living abroad, including the more than 300 living in Ireland. In the process of strengthening these ties, the 4th Conference “The Nation and Emigration” in 2023 , where attendees discussed a wide variety of topics holds a special place.
Through ongoing dialogue and exchange with representatives of Cubans living abroad, and by taking into account their suggestions, observations, and concerns, the Cuban government’s willingness to advance and increasingly strengthen relations with its compatriots living outside the island has been demonstrated.
Thus, the Directorate of Assistance to Cubans Living Abroad was created at the Foreign Ministry, resulting from the First Conference, which has now become the Directorate General.
The Correo de Cuba magazine and the Nation and Emigration website were created. Consular services were reactivated, with 140 Cuban consular offices now operating in 123 countries. Entry permits and invitation letters were eliminated as part of the most profound update to immigration policy in 2013, leading to the most recent measures adopted in 2023. These consisted of the extension of passport validity, the elimination of passport extensions, and the reduction of the consular fee.
The conclave is being convened in Dublin at a time when the U.S. government is intensifying its policy of maximum pressure against Cuba by reinforcing the blockade and reinstating the country on the list of states that allegedly sponsor terrorism. The Cuban nation needs the support and solidarity of all its children and men and women of good will. The goal is to count on the support of all Cubans living here, who are willing to defend national pride and reject aggression against their country of origin, where, in most cases, their families live.
The hope is to bring Cubans residing in Ireland ever closer together through the Association of Cuban Residents and the Consular Section of the Cuban Embassy in Ireland.
The first event of its kind in Ireland will be preceded by a wreath-laying ceremony in Glasnevin Cemetery on 10 October, thus combining the memory of the Father of the Nation with a tribute to the illustrious Irish journalist and politician, James J. O’Kelly, who interviewed him in 1873 in the midst of the Mambi bush, risking his own life.
One aspect of interest will be the participation of Cuban residents in Ireland in Cuba’s economic development and the potential that is emerging in this regard. We will reaffirm our willingness to evaluate any project that emerges in priority sectors for our economy and that contributes to the country’s economic development, to welcome and assist all those who wish to make exploratory business visits to Cuba, and to support their eventual realisation.
The Association of Cubans Residing in Ireland is one of the 134 associations in 57 countries that have participated in the fight against the blockade and in Cuba’s international battles. It has built a respectful relationship with the embassy and contributed to the international solidarity movement with Cuba. Strengthening it will also be one of the objectives of the October event.
With love and gratitude to Cuba, the Embassy has invited Cubans residing in Ireland to participate in an event that will go down in the history of Cubans abroad, as the first of its kind in Ireland.
Aware that the sincere and open debate, support, and solidarity that characterised the Nation and Emigration event will also prevail on this occasion, the Embassy wishes for the success of this National Meeting of Cubans Residing in Ireland. It is an event that invites us to the necessary unity to defend our beloved Cuba—together, all of us: the Cubans there who continue to overcome impossible challenges, and the patriots who from here continue to bet on their homeland.
