Paris, 17 June 2026. – Cuba's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to UNESCO, María del Carmen Herrera Caseiro, denounced today before the 11th General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage the severe impacts caused by the unprecedented tightening of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the Government of the United States against Cuba for more than six decades.
The Cuban representative particularly emphasized the impact of the recent measures adopted in January and May of this year by the current U.S. administration, aimed at completely blocking fuel supplies to the country and obstructing Cuba's economic, commercial and financial relations with the rest of the world. She also denounced that these actions are taking place in a context of explicit threats of military aggression against her country.
The Ambassador explained that the consequences directly affect the cultural sector, impacting the operation of cultural centers, museums, archives, research institutions and community spaces where traditional knowledge, techniques and practices are transmitted. She also denounced the obstacles to acquiring equipment, materials and supplies essential for the documentation, research, preservation and promotion of living heritage, as well as the barriers imposed on the international cooperation promoted by the Convention.
In this regard, she stressed that the unilateral coercive measures imposed against Cuba constitute a serious obstacle to ensuring the continuity of cultural expressions and affect the fundamental cultural rights of the Cuban people.
During her statement, the diplomat reaffirmed Cuba's firm commitment to the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage, which she described as an expression of sovereignty, national identity and the defense of the country's cultural wealth.
She also highlighted the progress achieved by Cuba in the implementation of the Convention, including the multinational inscription of the traditional knowledge and practices related to the preparation and consumption of cassava bread (casabe), together with countries from Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the inscription of the Practice of Cuban Son on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2025.
She announced the holding in Havana, from 29 June to 2 July, of the Second International Congress on Cultural Heritage, as evidence of Cuba's commitment to the implementation of the Convention despite the difficult conditions faced by the country.
The full statement is reproduced below:
Mr. President,
First of all, allow me to congratulate you on your election as President of this Assembly, as well as the members of the Bureau.
We thank the Secretariat for the comprehensive report presented on the progress achieved in the implementation of the Convention during the 2024–2026 biennium, and we extend our appreciation for its hard work and commitment to this Instrument.
Cuba remains firmly committed to the safeguarding and protection of cultural heritage and attaches particular importance to intangible heritage as an expression of sovereignty, national identity and the defense of the cultural wealth of the nation.
We particularly welcome the efforts aimed at capacity-building, regional cooperation and support provided to States. Cuba has participated in many of these initiatives, especially those related to the protection of the cultural heritage of Afro-descendant communities and the articulation between intangible cultural heritage, sustainable tourism and local development.
In 2024, we celebrated the multinational inscription of the traditional knowledge and practices related to the preparation and consumption of cassava bread (casabe), together with four countries from our region, a recognition that honors the living legacy of the Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean and Latin America. Likewise, in December 2025, the Practice of Cuban Son was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, constituting international recognition of one of the most authentic and universal expressions of Cuban cultural identity.
However, these efforts have been carried out under extraordinarily difficult circumstances due to the harsh economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States for more than six decades, which has been intensified to extreme levels in recent years, particularly through measures adopted in January and May of this year aimed at completely blocking fuel supplies to the country and obstructing Cuba's economic, commercial and financial relations with the world. All of this is taking place in a context of explicit threats of military aggression against the country.
The consequences directly affect the cultural sector, impacting the operation of cultural centers, museums, archives, research institutions and community spaces where traditional knowledge, techniques and practices are transmitted; hindering the acquisition of equipment, materials and supplies essential for the documentation, research, preservation and promotion of living heritage; and creating barriers to the international cooperation promoted by this Convention.
The safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage requires living communities, active spaces for transmission and minimum material conditions to ensure the continuity of cultural expressions. The unilateral coercive measures imposed against Cuba constitute a serious obstacle to these objectives and affect the fundamental cultural rights of our people.
Mr. President,
Despite these difficulties, Cuba does not renounce its commitment to the implementation of the Convention. In this regard, the Second International Congress on Cultural Heritage will be held in Havana from 29 June to 2 July.
In a world plagued by conflicts, Cuba will continue to promote culture as an indispensable instrument for the preservation of peace.
Thank you very much.