Statement from the Casa de las Américas on July 13, 2026
A sinister specter is haunting the world: the specter of neo-fascism. Not even what we thought would be a great sporting event—one that was supposed to put the world’s conflicts on hold, even if only artificially and temporarily—has escaped its grasp.
Omar Artan, the first Somali appointed to referee a World Cup, learned this the hard way when he was denied entry to the United States, one of the host countries. This was merely a prelude to the visa restrictions imposed on the Iranian team, as well as the racism endured by soccer players and teams, which has reached the absurd point where France is suffering racist attacks from the international far right because its players reflect the cultural and ethnic diversity of today’s French society.
The U.S. government has not waited for the tournament to end to announce that in the coming days, while the final matches are being played, an anti-terrorism summit will take place to address the “resurgence of transnational political extremism and violent far-left networks.” Convened by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the meeting will reportedly include representatives from more than sixty countries.
The primitive fascist tactic of stoking fear of a supposed “red threat” is resurfacing to justify repression and barbarism, precisely at a time when our region is witnessing the victories of far-right candidates willing not only to dismantle progressive programs but also to serve as pawns of the imperial agenda.
The definition of terrorism provided by the State Department spokesperson for the conference seems, more than anything else, to be a description of his own government’s covert or overt operations: “assassinations, kidnappings, threats against facilities and law enforcement, as well as attacks on critical infrastructure, military personnel, and the civilian population.”
We must take this very seriously. When U.S. leaders and their henchmen speak of democracy and human rights, what often follows is an abuse of power disguised as good manners. When they speak of terrorism, what follows is Operation Condor—thousands tortured and disappeared, as Latin America knows all too well—or bombings and chaos, such as those endured by other parts of the world.
Cuba, which has been a victim of terrorism and has paid for it with a painful toll of dead and maimed, as well as incalculable material damage, knows where these cynical U.S. strategies and accusations lead.
It is up to the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean, the American people themselves, their intellectuals, social movements, and those sectors committed to the most fundamental rights to dignity, sovereignty, and justice, to confront this new and threatening neo-fascist offensive.
Source: Casa de las Américas translation Resumen Latinoamericano – English