Paris, April 14, 2025. At the 221st session of the UNESCO Executive Board, Cuban Ambassador María del Carmen Herrera Caseiro condemned in the strongest possible terms Israel's genocide against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. "It is unacceptable to remain silent in the face of renewed Israeli aggression against Gaza, in the face of the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, including thousands of children," the Cuban diplomat stated during the general debate on Gaza.
In her remarks, the Cuban Representative also denounced the Israeli government's attempt to forcibly displace the entire population of that enclave and its attempts to exterminate them by blocking the entry of essential humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Recognizing the progress made by UNESCO in the implementation of the Emergency Assistance Program for Gaza, the Cuban Ambassador demanded an end to Israel's aggression and respect for the free movement of humanitarian personnel and relief goods as essential requirements for continuing the Program's implementation.
At the same time, she reiterated Cuba's long-standing position in favor of a comprehensive, just, and lasting solution to the conflict, based on the creation of two states, allowing the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination and to live in peace. "Effective action by the international community is urgently needed to put an end to the genocide of which the Palestinian people is victim," she stated at the end of her speech.