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The Colombian president Gustavo Petro urged the U.S. to change its policy towards Cuba and restart dialogue.
“I invite the U.S. to change its policy toward Cuba and urge it to unleash the solar energy program across the island. In Latin America, we can support this by manufacturing solar panels; Colombia supplies its silica sand and copper. We already produce panels to export if necessary,” Petro said this Sunday in one of his long and typically fragmented posts on X.
"We must learn to understand each other despite our differences and to recognize the history of each country with respect. The dialogue between the U.S. and Cuba must be restarted," he added.
The Colombian president stated that he disagrees "with blocking a country; what is needed is more freedom, not more chains."
“The current blockade against Cuba arose from a falsehood by Duque: to deny that Cuba offered its territory to help with the peace process in Colombia at the request of the Colombian government during Santos's administration. I thank Cuba for having collaborated with Norway for the peace of Colombia,” he said, referring to the bilateral relationship.
For Petro, the island "today needs a shift in energy from oil to the sun."
"Changes in energy modes also change the shape of society; we should not fear the flow of history," he said, in what seems to be a veiled reference to the need for a transition on the island.
In the second part of his post, Petro showered the Cubans with praises and invited them to listen to Silvio Rodríguez at the White House.
"Cuba is a jewel in the Caribbean, and its people are cultured and could greatly contribute to humanity with their knowledge and cultures. I believe that American society should listen more to Cuban music and art; when hurricanes grow over the island of Martí, I find myself listening to 'oh, melancholy of the poet singer of Cuban trova, Silvio Rodríguez.'"
"Silvio would sound great, for those who understand art, in the White House in Washington. I would dare to accompany him if he wants, to listen to his songs of art and beauty, of such loveliness. Art and culture bring people together; barbarism separates them," he added.
Petro concluded with another ambiguous statement: "There is no crime in the free transport of oil in the Caribbean, but it is preferable for the energy of the Caribbean to come from the sun that shines almost every day."
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