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Lech Walesa urged Cubans to seize the political moment represented by Donald Trump, although he warned that the American president will not bring them freedom.
The former Polish president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Lech Walesa, suggested this Thursday in Miami that Cubans in Florida should "take advantage" of U.S. President Donald Trump to achieve change on the island, but warned that the president "will not bring them freedom," according to statements reported by EFE.
“They need to take advantage of Trump because he is heading in the right direction, but remember that he is going in the direction of U.S. interests, not Cuban interests. So they need to be prepared for all of this to converge,” Walesa responded to a question from EFE at the Museum of the Cuban Diaspora.
The Polish leader, who headed the movement that contributed to the end of the communist regime in his country in 1989, compared the current situation in Cuba to Poland's experience, recalling that his movement "took advantage" of having a Polish pope, John Paul II.
"They have a similar situation. Trump is there, but the question is how to take advantage of the fact that he is president because he will not bring them freedom. They need to leverage Trump in order to gain their freedom," he stated.
During the event, the Museum of the Cuban Diaspora, the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance, and other exile organizations recognized him as the first "ambassador of freedom in Cuba," believing that the fall of the regime is closer than ever due to the policies of Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
EFE notes that Washington has increased pressure on Havana following the intervention in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3, the halt of Venezuelan oil supplies to the island, and the declaration of a "national emergency" to sanction countries that supply oil to Cuba.
Walesa, 82 years old, also warned that while there is a possibility of a quick victory, problems could arise afterwards, given the risk of a civil war.
"So I wish you freedom, and I am truly asking you, let me participate in your victory parade in Cuba. Hurry up," he expressed.
The former president also revealed that he recently had a conversation with the Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado and commented that, in his opinion, she awarded her Nobel Prize to Trump "too quickly and too easily."
He added that he will continue to participate in the fight for the freedom of Venezuela, Cuba, and other countries.
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