JOINT STATEMENT urges “much more” by Canada to prevent loss of life in Cuba, as the U.S. ramps up its blockade and threats of military intervention
June 15, 2026
Today, the Americas Policy Group - alongside dozens of Canadian trade unions, international cooperation, human rights, faith-based and solidarity organizations - released a joint statement calling on the Canadian government to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cuba, cornerstone rights of all states under international law.
The joint statement is published on page 3 of The Hill Times, a paper that was distributed today to every office on Parliament Hill. It is an important means to draw the attention of MPs and government officials to the ever more urgent need for principled action by Canada in the face of U.S. threats of military intervention in Cuba and an unlawful, escalating blockade that is causing massive suffering.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, warned on June 8 that the expansion of U.S. sanctions against Cuba is causing widespread harm to the population and endangering lives, urging a halt to sanctions which violate international law. The UN Resident Coordinator in Cuba, Francisco Pichón stated in May that with the US blockade cutting off oil, the island’s healthcare has been wrecked, tens of thousands of surgeries postponed, access to clean water lost and babies put at risk. The UN expert concluded, “We need fuel now to save lives.”
The APG and all the organizations who signed the joint statement call on the Canadian government to:
Publicly oppose and work to stop a U.S. military intervention in Cuba;
Speak out forcefully against unlawful U.S. coercive measures to withhold fuel and starve the Cuban people;
Work more determinedly with the United Nations and other countries to expedite the delivery of fuel and other life-sustaining supplies to Cuba.