Uruguay's Foreign Minister, Mario Lubetkin, stated that Cuba is going through one of its most critical moments and expressed the need to open a dialogue within Cuban society to define the country's future, as well as to promote negotiations between Havana and Washington.
In an interview conducted during the UN General Assembly in September and published on October 10 by the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, the Uruguayan minister expressed his concerns about the situation on the island and advocated for two possible paths for understanding.
"I believe one of the keys is to develop two types of dialogue: one that is frank and focused on negotiation between the United States and Cuba. There should also be open dialogue within Cuban society," he stated.
Lubetkin insisted that the Cubans themselves must participate in building their future, without focusing the debate solely on the events of the past few decades.
"I am not going to criticize what happened over the last 50 years," he noted, before suggesting that, based on the current situation, Cuban society needs to reconnect in order to shape its future.
The statements were made after Lubetkin held a bilateral meeting with the Cuban foreign minister, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, during his participation in the United Nations General Assembly in New York. On September 28, the Uruguayan minister confirmed the meeting on his social media and explained that these exchanges aimed to address bilateral, regional, and multilateral issues, as well as to strengthen the ties between both countries.
During the interview with Folha de S.Paulo, the chancellor also reiterated his country's willingness to provide humanitarian assistance to the island, including the possibility of sending solar panels to alleviate the energy issues.
«We are sending powdered milk along with the Mexicans. We are ready to send solar panels by whatever means possible,” he stated.
Uruguayan cooperation already has recent precedents. In June, Cuban authorities
On that occasion, the Uruguayan ambassador in Havana, Juan Andrés Canessa Franco, also expressed his government's willingness to collaborate on components for photovoltaic parks and spare parts for thermoelectric plants.
However, some of the humanitarian aid coming from Uruguay has been surrounded by controversy. The Uruguayan deputy of Cuban origin, Leydis Aguilera, previously reported that powdered milk from the Conaprole brand was being sold in stores linked to the military conglomerate GAESA, despite the food needs of the population.
During the same interview, Lubetkin also questioned the legitimacy of the Venezuelan government led by Delcy Rodríguez, whom he deemed "as illegitimate as Maduro." The chancellor stated that Uruguay will not restore diplomatic relations with Caracas until democratic elections are held, the results of which are validated by an independent judicial body.
"We have not resumed them, and we will not resume them," he stated regarding bilateral relations, affirming that the political situation in Venezuela has not changed following Nicolás Maduro's capture by the United States.
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