Her Excellency Ismara Mercedes Vargas Walter, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to the United Kingdom, was honoured to be received by the Speaker of the House of Commons, Rt Hon. Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP, at the Palace of Westminster.
During the meeting, the Ambassador delivered a letter from His Excellency Esteban Lazo Hernández, President of the National Assembly of People's Power of the Republic of Cuba, addressed to the Speaker. The letter was written on behalf of the Cuban parliament, conveying its institutional regards and outlining the grave humanitarian situation currently affecting the Cuban people due to United States extraterritorial sanctions. In his letter, President Lazo Hernández also addressed other issues regarding the relations between the two parliaments.
Her Excellency briefed the Speaker on the current situation in Cuba and called for parliamentary support. The Ambassador expressed appreciation for the solidarity shown by more than 117 Members of Parliament who supported Early Day Motion 2739 in May 2026, expressing concern at the humanitarian impact of United States collective punishment on the Cuban population. She also highlighted the valuable work of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cuba (APPG), chaired by Steve Witherden MP, and other significant parliamentary initiatives undertaken over the years that demonstrate support for the Cuban people in the face of the unjust situation they are enduring.
Accompanying Her Excellency was Mr Pablo A. Ginarte Sampedro, First Secretary for Political Affairs at the Embassy of Cuba in the United Kingdom.
The Embassy of Cuba in the United Kingdom thanks the Speaker of the House of Commons, Rt Hon. Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP and his office for the warm reception and their continued commitment to parliamentary dialogue between our two peoples.