The socialist president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, said this Monday (16) that she will make a “personal financial donation” to Cuba and once again defended the Mexican government’s aid to the communist country as a “gesture of solidarity” in the face of the economic and energy crisis affecting the island.
According to Sheinbaum, the decision follows an appeal made by former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who last Saturday (14) asked for contributions to “support” Cuba through deposits into an account managed by a civil association. The initiative has been questioned by the Mexican opposition, but, according to the president, the entity will be audited.
In an interview, Sheinbaum stated that Mexico maintains a position of support for Cuba, even under international pressure. “Mexico was the only country that, despite all the pressure, opposed the blockade against Cuba. The only one. A light on the horizon. Mexico has always been in solidarity with the Cuban people, always, a sister nation”, he declared.
She added that helping the island is part of Mexico’s diplomatic tradition. “It is our responsibility, without putting Mexico at risk, to continue supporting the Cuban people, because this is the essence of who we are,” he said.
According to the president, the personal donation does not change the country’s foreign policy, but reinforces what she classified as a humanitarian commitment. Sheinbaum once again criticized the sanctions imposed by the United States against Cuba, due to the communist regime’s strong repression against dissidents, and said that the crisis on the island cannot be resolved without international cooperation.
During López Obrador’s government, Mexico signed cooperation agreements with Cuba that included sending oil and hiring Cuban doctors to work in needy regions of Mexican territory. According to Mexican authorities, fuel shipments occurred both under contract and for humanitarian reasons. The Cuban doctors program has been denounced several times by international organizations due to the fact that the Cuban communist regime keeps a large part of the salary paid to the professional.
Sheinbaum’s statement comes at a time when Cuba is facing new national blackouts caused by the deterioration of the electrical system and fuel shortages, the result of the regime’s mismanagement. In recent months, the island has suffered several electrical system collapses, many of them linked to failures in old thermoelectric plants and the difficulty in importing oil. The most recent occurs this Monday.
Asked about allegations of human rights violations in Cuba made by international organizations, Sheinbaum stated that the internal political situation “must be resolved by the Cubans themselves” and reiterated that Mexico will continue sending humanitarian aid to the country, even in the face of criticism.
