The Cuban ambassador to Brazil, Víctor Manuel Cairo Palomo, attempted to project calm this Monday ahead of the upcoming Brazilian presidential runoff on October 25, in which Flávio Bolsonaro is poised as the favorite against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
In an interview granted to the portal Metrópoles, the diplomat dodged questions about a potential change in stance that could affect bilateral relations, and expressed gratitude for the humanitarian assistance from Lula's government.
When asked if the Cuban regime fears a change in stance with a new government, Cairo Palomo described the issue as "hypothetical" and relied on the argument of shared history.
"Brazil and Cuba have a historical relationship. We have strong historical cultural ties. The electoral process in Brazil is solely the concern of the Brazilian people. And that is a hypothetical question, because we are starting from an assumption that does not yet exist and that doesn't depend on us; it depends on those who make decisions for Brazil. But I believe that our historical relationships are much stronger than any specific issue," he stated.
At the beginning of October, entities linked to the regime issued an open manifesto in support of Lula, accusing the United States and Israel of financing the Brazilian opposition. While the official claims that the electoral process "is solely the concern of the Brazilian people," Cuban state institutions are actively campaigning for the official candidate.
During Jair Bolsonaro's government, Brazil broke its tradition of voting against the U.S. embargo on Cuba at the UN for the first time in 27 years, left the embassy in Havana without a head, and threatened on several occasions to sever relations. His son claimed in his campaign that Lula "wants to leave Brazil like Cuba," placing the Island among the countries where he anticipates a political shift.
In the first round on October 4, Flávio Bolsonaro received 47.03% of the votes compared to Lula's 45.16%, and analyses suggest that the votes from eliminated candidates—almost all from the right and center-right—will favor the PL candidate in the runoff. A victory for Flávio would deprive the Cuban regime of its last major South American ally.
In the interview, Cairo Palomo expressed gratitude to the Lula government for the shipment of 48 tons of powdered milk sent in July on Brazilian Air Force flights, and also emphasized the solidarity of Brazilian citizens who travel to the island with medications and seeds in their luggage. This shipment is in addition to a humanitarian aid that Brazil announced in March, consisting of 20,000 tons of food (rice, black beans, and powdered milk).
What the diplomat does not mention is the paradox that while Lula sends aid, he cannot recover the 676 million that Cuba owes him, a debt related to the BNDES credits for the construction of the Mariel Port, which has been unpaid since May 2018.
According to sources from Brazilian diplomacy consulted by Metrópoles, a new shipment of rice and beans to Cuba is expected to be formalized in November, although the shipment still depends on securing a vessel for transport.
The ambassador referred to the U.S. embargo as a "collective punishment" of the Cuban people and described the situation in his country as a "humanitarian crisis." His speech also omitted that nearly 17,000 Cubans sought asylum in Brazil just between January and May 2026, at a rate of about 3,000 per month.
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