29th Parliamentary-Intelligence Security Forum – Transnational Threats & Border Insecurity
invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He noted that Cuba has reactivated military, economic, and political ties with Moscow, providing propaganda support and deploying thousands of young Cubans to fight in Ukraine, many of them coerced or incentivized with wages. Gonzalez warned that these returning combatants could become latent threats, potentially joining criminal networks or insurgent groups across Latin America, echoing the dangers posed by returning jihadists.
He criticized the EU’s inconsistent approach, highlighting that financial agreements with Cuba, without demanding democratic reforms or accountability for past debts, indirectly support Russia. Gonzalez stressed the need for a firm, coordinated strategy: halting EU agreements with Cuba until compliance is verified, closely monitoring returning combatants, and preparing comprehensive measures to counter hybrid threats that combine insurgency, disinformation, migration, and organized crime. Supporting Cuba, he argued, effectively supports Putin and undermines European and Western security.
