Geneva, 8 May 2026. Today, the Cuban delegation successfully concluded its participation in the 26th session of the Council of the International Telecommunication Union.
During the opening session of the event, Cuba’s First Deputy Minister of Communications, Ernesto Rodríguez, underscored the high priority Cuba attaches to the work of the ITU and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to continue contributing actively and constructively to the implementation of the important mandate of that international organization.
He also presented Cuba’s candidacy for membership on the ITU Council for the 2027–2030 period.
In the following days, the Cuban delegation maintained a high profile in the discussions and negotiations on the various issues under consideration, including those related to artificial intelligence, data governance, financing for development, and the ITU’s strategic and financial plan. Cuba’s work contributed to giving visibility to the demands of the Global South in the preparatory process for the next ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, to be held in Qatar in November 2026.
The Cuban delegation also denounced the United States blockade, the main obstacle preventing the island from accessing the benefits of building an information society. This criminal policy, intensified to unprecedented levels through the imposition of an energy blockade, restricts Cuba’s access to technologies, financing, and knowledge, and causes estimated annual losses of around 80 million dollars to the information and telecommunications technology sector.
The Cuban representatives also held bilateral meetings with the ITU Secretary-General, Doreen Bogdan-Martin; the Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau, Cosmas Zavazava; and with other participating delegations.
