Mexico’s Top Diplomat Visits Cuba to Seek Help on Venezuela Crisis Gabriel Stargardter - Thomson Reuters
go to original August 18, 2017

Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez (R) shakes hands with Mexico's Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray at the foreign ministry in Havana, Cuba (Reuters)

Update: Cuba, Mexico Vow to Expand Political, Economic Relations (Xinhua)

Mexico's foreign minister is in Havana hoping to persuade Cuba, one of Venezuela's top allies, to help resolve the tense political situation in the beleaguered South American nation, according to a senior Mexican official briefed about the trip.

The minister, Luis Videgaray, has not gone empty-handed, according to the official and a document seen by Reuters, and has agreed with Havana's request to expand a credit line with Mexico's state-owned Bancomext bank from 30 million to 56 million euros as a gesture of goodwill. Cuba uses the credit line to pay for key imports.

"The foreign minister is going to say, 'We want to solve the situation in Venezuela. How do we do that?'" the official said. "He's going to see what the Cubans' view is, and how we can soften or manage the transition in Venezuela and its impact on Cuba."

Mexico may struggle to convince Cuba to join its effort. Venezuela is Cuba's closest strategic and ideological ally, and has showered the island with billions of dollars of cheap oil and aid since the turn of the century.

Mexico, on the other hand, has flip-flopped in its relationship with Cuba, with former President Vicente Fox famously snubbing Fidel Castro at a summit, a move that pleased the United States but damaged Mexico's regional influence.

... Still, Mexico, which has ditched years of isolationist foreign policies to lead Latin American diplomatic efforts to pressure Caracas, believes there won't be a peaceful transition in Venezuela without Cuba's help, the official said.

Read the rest at Thomson Reuters

Related: Mexico Against Military Option in Settlement of Venezuelan Crisis (Sputnik)

Related: What Is to be Done About Venezuela? (The Fusion Feed)

Related: UN Chief Warns Over Foreign Military Intervention in Venezuela (PressTV)

Related: The Latest News from Venezuela Since Its Political Crisis Started (Al Jazeera)

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