Josep Borrell, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy.  (europa.eu)

By Gary Raynaldo     DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has summoned the bloc’s ambassador to Cuba back to  Brussels to explain  the decision to sign a  letter to U.S. President Joe Biden suggesting lifting  the American embargo against Cuba.  Borrell’s action came a day after several MEPs urged the EU foreign policy chief  to fire the ambassador to Cuba Alberto Novarro  for allegedly getting too cozy with the country’s Communist leadership.  A delegation in the European Parliament that includes deputies from the EPP and some other groups such as Renew and the conservatives of ECR,  sent a letter this week to Borrell  urging him  to sack the Ambassador Navarro.  They accuse Navarro, who is from Spain, of  sending a letter to President Biden advocating the lifting  the the U.S. embargo against Cuba among other actions they view as show bias toward the Havana government. 

Ambassador of the European Union in Cuba,  Alberto Navarro , has been a vocal opponent of U.S. embargo  and Helms-Burton Law. (ahora.cu) 

“We, the undersigned, wish to express our bewilderment and disapproval of the unusual and recurrent conduct of the Ambassador of the European Union in Cuba, Mr. Alberto Navarro. His latest action, consisting of having signed, as a member of the EEAS in Havana, a letter addressed to none other than the President of the United States requesting, among other matters, the lifting of the U.S. embargo on the island (see attachment) as well as the non-interference in Cuban affairs. This constitutes a serious act in a totally unfortunate and erratic line of action regarding what should be the defence of our interests and values as a Union of Democratic States and States governed by the rule of law. “

-Letter On Cuba to  Josep  Borrell

They contend that the ambassador’s behavior is not only inappropriate but  is “completely alien”  to the functions and standards of conduct that should govern a diplomatic representative of the EU, with the aggravating circumstance “that it allows him to address a government of a third country, a friend and ally of the EU, to which he is not accredited”.    The letter added:

“It could be said that our Ambassador in Havana takes political positions in line with a regime that neither respects nor defends human rights or democratic plurality and allows himself liberties more typical of a political leader than of a diplomatic representative.”