Uruguay. Statements by the “progressive” foreign minister: “We do not recognize anyone in Venezuela: neither Maduro nor the one who claimed to have triumphed” / Opinions of a convert

Uruguay. Statements by the “progressive” foreign minister: “We do not recognize anyone in Venezuela: neither Maduro nor the one who claimed to have triumphed” / Opinions of a convert

Sebastián Fest / El Mundo / Resumen Latinoamericano / March 4, 2025.

Photo: Journalist Mario Lubetkin, whose career spans more than 40 years, assumes a new position in the Government of Yamandú Orsi: head of diplomacy

Uruguay changes its position on Venezuela: Yamandú Orsi, the new president, does not recognize Nicolás Maduro or Edmundo González Urrutia as heads of state.

“Neither Maduro, nor the president who claimed to have triumphed according to the minutes he showed on the Internet,” says Mario Lubetkin, the new Uruguayan Minister of Foreign Affairs, during an interview with EL MUNDO.

The previous government of Luis Lacalle Pou, head of a liberal center-right coalition, recognized González Urrutia as president, who on January 4 visited Montevideo and received emphatic support from the then president, with a meeting that ended in the streets of the Uruguayan capital and a speech before Venezuelan exiles.

Orsi, leader of the Frente Amplio, the Uruguayan left, takes another path, while his foreign minister is enthusiastic about the role that the small South American country of 3.4 million inhabitants can play. “If the Oslo peace accords exist, why can't those of Montevideo exist?” says Lubetkin, who in the 1970s, still a teenager, had to flee the Uruguayan dictatorship to Argentina and then go into exile in Italy.

What would these “Montevideo accords” mean?

It is to respect our historical traditions, to act with the best tradition of Uruguay. Uruguay has to be a factor that helps peace. Someone asked me if we are going to be intermediaries in the situation in Venezuela between the Government and the opposition. Nobody asked us for anything, but why can't that tradition of serenity in Uruguay also be transmitted in peaceful scenarios?

Who is today, for the new Uruguayan Government, the president of Venezuela?

We do not recognize the situation based on how the electoral process took place. That does not change. We do have a problem: relations between Uruguay and Venezuela are at zero, the embassies are almost closed. What do we do with the thousands of Uruguayans who are in Venezuela? Who protects them? Someone asked me if this means the reestablishment of diplomatic relations and my answer is no.

Luis Lacalle Pou, the previous president, recognized Edmundo González Urrutia as president of Venezuela. Is that still maintained?

We also have a dialogue with the opposition, we do not recognize anyone at this time: neither Maduro, nor the president who claimed to have won according to the minutes he showed on the internet.

Does Uruguay then believe that Venezuela does not have a president today?

I would not say that because there is a reality that controls the country. It is not the situation in Somalia, where there is total lack of control. No, there is precise control over the management of the State, of the economy. That does not mean recognition. We do not recognize Maduro nor do we recognize the one who claims to have won the elections. It is an ambiguous situation, but we are not the only country that has that position.

Is Maduro a dictator?

The president has already defined that; he effectively raised the concept of dictatorship and that we cannot recognize a democratic reality when the electoral process was not up to the level of the guarantees that a democratic State can give us. We do not recognize it, but we have to resolve an objective problem that we have and we have to find the formulas.

I take it to another hot spot on the continent, which is Cuba. Is there a dictatorship there?

The Cuban scenario is not the way in which we develop democracy in our country. That does not mean that we do not want to have normal diplomatic relations and action scenarios like we will have with other countries.

What does it mean that the Argentine president, Javier Milei, did not attend Orsi's inauguration?

We were prepared, because President Fernández did not come five years ago and President Macri did not come ten years ago, due to a combination of other realities such as the start of parliamentary sessions.

The agreement between the European Union and Mercosur was a great achievement at the end of 2024. Will it continue to advance?

I think that for the European Union this agreement is a fundamental element for the development of its future. This is not a Mercosur issue, it is a win-win. There is no cooperation in one direction only. What we cannot allow is for Mercosur to fracture.

You have said that you see opportunities with Trump's United States.

Certainly! It is not that America First means the destruction of the world. America First is defending the interests of the United States and we will try to defend the interests of Uruguayan citizens.