Vienna, June 12, 2026 - The president of the Austrian Labor Party (PdA), Otto Bruckner, published a commentary in the party’s official newspaper, *Zeitung der Arbeit* (ZdA), in which he analyzes the critical situation facing Cuba due to the intensification of the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States, while highlighting the resilience of the revolutionary government and the Cuban people.
In his article, Bruckner cited warnings from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, who provided detailed data on the impact on pediatric patients who lack access to vital medical supplies—a situation that has led to an increase in infant mortality in Cuba (doubling to 9.9 per 1,000 live births), childhood cancer survival rates (which have fallen from 85% to 65%), and the limited availability of essential medications, among other serious consequences.
The Austrian leader recalled the statements by Cuba’s Deputy Minister of Public Health, Carilda Peña, who reported that nearly 100,000 people are awaiting urgent surgery and that the blockade is causing enormous humanitarian and material damage to the Cuban healthcare system.
Bruckner pointed out that the Cuban Revolution created the most advanced healthcare system in the region, which guarantees free access to the entire population, and highlighted the paradox that it is the United States—with the most disastrous healthcare system in the capitalist world—that, through its blockade, prevents Cuba from providing the most basic necessities to its people. Finally, he declared: “The criminal regime in Washington serves only the wealthiest, and they wait like vultures for Cuba to fall. The revolutionary government and the people of Cuba are making every effort to ensure that the Yankees do not achieve that goal, and international solidarity must support Cuba in this endeavor.”
The Austrian Labor Party has maintained a long-standing and active record of solidarity with Cuba, which includes organizing campaigns to denounce the U.S. blockade, promoting cultural and political cooperation, sending humanitarian aid, and participating in international solidarity events with the island. Through the ZdA and its public platforms, the PdA has been a constant voice in Austria in defense of Cuban sovereignty and the Cuban people’s right to develop their social project without external interference.
(EmbaCubaAustria)