Bruno Rodriguez, the Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs, said today that Havana welcomed any dialogue effort between the Venezuelan opposition and the Maduro government as long as it is based on recognizing the “sovereign equality” of the two sides.
Cuba will support any initiative aimed at promoting respectful dialogue based on sovereign equality, with strict adherence to the principles of international law, in particular the non-use of force or threats of force, or intervention in a state’s internal affairs.
Rodriguez’s comments come as talks between the ruling PSUV party and the opposition are set to continue in Oslo this week.
The comment from Rodriguez is noteworthy because it suggests that there is recognition in Havana that the Venezuelan opposition is a sovereign political entity on equal footing with the ruling PSUV party.
Cuba is Maduro’s closest ally, having first been Chavez’s staunchest supporter on the international stage before his arrival.
Leopoldo Lopez’s Father Elected to European Parliament
Leopoldo Lopez Gil, the father of Venezuelan opposition figure Leopoldo Lopez, was elected to the European Parliament for the Partido Popular party.
In an interview after his victory Lopez Gil said that his son “is my source of inspiration”, and that he would look to work on human rights issues in the European Parliament.
Lopez Gil also had a message for Venezuelans, saying:
I want Venezuelans to know that ever since I got here, I’ve been fighting to make the [Maduro] regime’s wrongdoings visible; all of the things they’ve done to make our people suffer. On top of that, a topic that has always interested me is migration (…) it’s my opinion that many of the Venezuelans who have come to this part of the world should enjoy the status of refugees or asylum [seekers].
Lopez Gil was born in Venezuela, but has been living in exile in Spain since 2015. He was granted Spanish citizenship in 2015.
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