In a statement to which Prensa Latina had access on Friday, the members of the Association also repudiated Washington’s decision to use the Guantanamo Naval Base, a Cuban territory that it occupies against the will of the people, as a detention center for tens of thousands of migrants.

This action, in addition to being inhumane and contrary to the fundamental principles of human rights, are a flagrant violation of Cuba’s sovereignty and perpetuates the illegitimate use of this territory, they noted.

They pointed out that the use of the illegal Guantanamo Naval Base as a mass detention center for migrants “accentuates its nature as an enclave of injustice and suffering, as it contravenes international standards of respect for human dignity.”

We condemn this measure and demand that the United States respect the right of migrants to fair, dignified treatment in accordance with international standards, said the Association that bears the name of the Dominican-Cuban patriot Máximo Gómez, a symbol along with Cuban National Hero José Martí of the historic relations between the two countries.

They noted that the migration crisis cannot be addressed with policies of imprisonment and repression, but with a real commitment to development, international cooperation and respect for the fundamental rights of peoples.

The Máximo Gómez Association of Cuban Residents called on the international community, human rights organizations and governments in the region to speak out against this action, to demand respect for the dignity of migrants and an end to policies that criminalize human mobility.

In addition, they reiterated their commitment to the defense of human rights, Cuba’s sovereignty and the rejection of any measure that threaten justice and the dignity of peoples.

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