Cubans in Uruguay thank Luis Lacalle "for being the voice of millions of oppressed"

A group ofCubans residing in Uruguay He demonstrated this Sunday morning in Montevideo to thank the president for his solidarity.Luis Lacalle Pou after speaking at the VI summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC)the dictatorial and repressive nature of the regime.

The protesters, mainly members of the organizations Free Cubans in Uruguay and the Uruguayan Committee for Democracy in Cuba, gathered in the Plaza de la Independencia and chanted slogans for the freedom of the island, as well as expressions of gratitude to Lacalle Pou for his support.

“For being the voice of millions of oppressed Cubans, for maintaining the commitment to democracy and human rights, for the dignified stance in Celac in the face of the complicit silence of many, thank you Luis! Thank you Uruguay!”, read the announcement of the event, which was also attended by Uruguayan sympathizers of the Cuban cause.

"In this fight that we Cubans have to be free after 62 and a half years, we have had very little support at the Latin American level, not to mention worldwide., then it is very important for us Cubans that a president has the courage and has had the attitude and action to support us as a people," said one of the Cubans present at the event.

"Our maximum support to the president, that is why we are here today, to thank him eternally, we are going to be eternally grateful to President Lacalle, because not only has it been this time, he also did not invite the dictator Díaz-Canel to his ascension as president, so good "We are committed to Uruguay, we are grateful for Uruguay and well, thank you very much, president," commented Luis Estrada, president of the Cubanos Libres organization in statements to alocal environment.

"They want to hide the feelings of the people, they want to pretend that nothing is happening in Cuba, and there is a lot of discontent. Now, as the song Homeland and Life says, it's been 62 years, the people are tired, and our gratitude to Lacalle Pou for having stand with dignity and say what many Cubans want to say," said another of those attending the event.

The Cuban singer and composer living in Miami,Willy Chirino also expressed his gratitude to the Uruguayan president.

The president of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou,openly condemned the governments of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua during the VI CELAC Summit,held at the National Palace of Mexico.

“When one sees that, in certain countries, there is not a full democracy, when the separation of powers is not respected, when the repressive apparatus is used by those in power to silence protests, when opponents are imprisoned, when human rights are not respected humans, we, in this calm but firm voice, must say with concern that we seriously see what is happening in Cuba, in Nicaragua and in Venezuela," Miguel Díaz-Canel, Nicolás Maduro and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua said before the leaders. .

Lacalle Pou evenquoted a fragment ofHomeland and Life and highlighted that "those who sing it feel oppressed by the government."

At the end of July, thePresident of Uruguay had already described Cuba as a “dictatorship”in statements forThe Nation+ and highlighted that Those who do not want to admit it will be because they have “very strong ideological affinities.”He explained that the positions that nations must adopt regarding the Cuban case should not be “ideological” but rather respect for human rights, something that goes beyond being socialist, capitalist or pro-market.

He said that Cuba and other countries such as Venezuela and Nicaragua practice "a prebendary capitalism" in the sphere of government, while the people live under great deprivation. "The vast majority of those who preach these things do not live as they preach," he concluded, and stressed that in many of these cases “the ideology actually works as a shield.”

Luis Lacalle Pou did not invite Miguel Díaz-Canel, Daniel Ortega or Nicolás Maduro when he assumed the presidency of Uruguay in March 2020.

Shortly after the July 11 protests in Cuba, Lacalle Pou wasone of the first Latin American presidents to express his support.

“The Cuban people are demonstrating courage worthy of praise,” he said at a press conference on July 12, adding that “Cuba is a dictatorship that obviously does not respect human rights.”