Laura Fernández Delgado, President of Costa Rica, supported the diplomatic and economic pressure measures that the United States applies on the Cuban regime, stating in an exclusive interview with NTN24 released this Friday that there is no room for ambiguity in the face of a dictatorship that oppresses its people.
Fernández was emphatic in drawing a clear moral line: "In democracy, there are things that are not gray; they are either right or wrong, and against any dictator who oppresses their people with hunger and denies them the chance to live with dignity, there is no gray area."
The official expanded her argument by stating that the seriousness of the situation in Cuba justifies any available means of pressure: "When human lives are at stake, when everything has been lost under the yoke of a dictatorship, when there are no decent jobs, where to find clean water, where to find employment (...) every diplomatic and economic pressure measure is valid."
For Fernández, the ultimate goal is clear: to ensure that "the light" of democracy, institutional stabilization, and the recovery of freedoms and human rights reaches the Cuban people.
The president also confirmed that Costa Rica maintains the decision to withdraw its embassy from Havana, made in March by her predecessor Rodrigo Chaves, and reaffirmed it as her own. She described this move as "a demonstration of support for the democratization process" that she hopes will soon reach the Cuban people. Since April 1, relations between the two countries have been reduced to a consular level, with assistance to Costa Rican citizens channeled from Panama.
Fernández assumed the presidency on May 8 after winning the election in the first round with 48.5% of the votes, championing a tough-on-crime policy and a structural reform of the state. Even before taking office, the then-elect president had supported the diplomatic break with Cuba, and in May, she welcomed Cuban opposition figure Orlando Gutiérrez Boronat in San José, reinforcing her government's alignment with the cause of freedom on the island.
This alignment also extends to Washington. Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated Fernández after her electoral victory, indicating the understanding between both governments regarding hemispheric policy.
Fernández's statements come amidst an unprecedented escalation of U.S. pressure on the regime of Miguel Díaz-Canel. Since January 2026, the Trump administration has imposed over 240 sanctions: it sanctioned GAESA and its president on May 7, and on June 4, the measures directly targeted President Miguel Díaz-Canel, his wife Lis Cuesta, and Alejandro Castro Espín, son of former dictator Raúl Castro. Trump also signed Executive Order 14404, which expanded secondary sanctions to foreign companies and banks operating with sanctioned Cuban entities.
Under these measures and with the multidimensional crisis that has been worsening for years in Cuba, the situation on the Island has become bleak: power outages of over 20 hours daily in several areas, and in some, even reaching 30 and 40 hours; an electricity deficit of over 2,000 MW repeated in May and June, along with a severe shortage of food, water, and medicine. The pensions for the elderly average a mere 9 dollars per month. The humanitarian crisis consuming Cuba has prompted the UN to launch a response plan for 94.1 million dollars to assist around two million people, although at the beginning of June, that appeal was still funded at less than a third.
Regarding Venezuela, Fernández was also direct in supporting the capture of Nicolás Maduro by the United States, describing it as "a light for all of us who have been hopeful that Venezuela returns to a democratic path," and reiterated that "Costa Rica supports all international actions through the appropriate diplomatic channels for Venezuela to be free."
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