Nicosia, Cyprus, July 13, 2026. The Cuban ambassador in Cyprus, Rubén Pino Martínez, received on the morning of this Monday Her Excellency Mrs Carmen Silvestre, the new ambassador of Portugal to Cyprus, paid him a courtesy visit at the Cuban diplomatic headquarters in Strovolos, where he extended a cordial welcome.
During the meeting, both diplomats discussed the current situation in Cyprus, the local and regional geopolitical context, and bilateral relations; on this occasion, Pino Martínez shared with his Portuguese counterpart detailed information about the situation Cuba is facing today and the damage the island suffers as a result of the U.S. economic, financial, and commercial blockade policy imposed on his country for more than sixty years.
To illustrate, he exemplified the aggravated socioeconomic situation that today hits the largest of the Antilles, with the continuous pressures and energy blockade imposed by the U.S. for more than seven months, which prevents the import of fuels to the island, as a result of two executive orders signed by that government, which flagrantly violate international law norms and involve an absolute disregard for the United Nations Charter.
The Hon. Ambassador of Portugal to Cyprus notably lamented this situation in Cuba while also expressing her total and absolute hope that it can be reversed as soon as possible for the well-being and normal development of the Cuban nation.
Both ambassadors shared about the mutual interest in strengthening cultural cooperation within the diplomatic corps accredited in Cyprus, mainly among the embassies that share initiatives from the Ibero-American context, taking as a reference the successful realisation of 4 previous editions of the Ibero-American Film Festival in Nicosia.
The most recent edition concluded on July 2 with the premiere of the Cuban feature film “A Night with the Rolling Stones,” an event that confirmed the common interest of the diplomatic missions of Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, and Cuba in consolidating it, in collaboration with the Cervantes Institute of Nicosia and the Film Society in Cyprus.
Embassy of Cuba in Cyprus.