«Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua are regimes that have brought instability to the region»

The United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, said that «Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua are regimes that have brought instability to the region.»

“They are regimes that have contributed the three to the instability of the region. All countries in the region have had to pay to some extent the price of instability that exists in those countries. It has fallen on top of everything else. In the case of Venezuela, which cooperates with Iran, with Hezbollah, with Hamas. In the case of Cuba, which has given a hostel to Chinese Espionage and the presence of Russia, so that is still my opinion, ”Rubio said at a press conference since the Dominican Republic.

Rubio thus responded to a criticism of a Dominican journalist to his comments on Tuesday in Costa Rica describing as «enemies of humanity» to Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela.

“I do not know what another way of talking about a regime, which for example, has forced almost 8 million of its citizens to abandon Venezuela, who imprisons, torture, murders innocent. In the case of Cuba, more than 10% of the population has abandoned the country that has more than 400 to 500 people imprisoned at this time, including young children aged 16, 17, because they went out to demonstrate in the streets. And in the case of Nicaragua, which ends and continues to fall up to all opponents, ”he said at the Joint Conference with the Dominican President Luis Abinader.

To a question of whether the US would attend the next summit of the Americas, which will take place in November in the Dominican Republic, if those regimes were invited, Rubio said that it is up to the Dominican Government to decide who invites.

“Regimes can change and stop violating the human rights of so many people and abusing. It would be perfect if they did, but I believe that politics works well when we talk clearly, when we do not get confused and I am not confusing, ”replied the Secretary of State.

The United States did not invite these three countries to the summit of the Americas, which was held in 2022 in the city of Los Angeles.

At the press conference, Rubio was also asked about the statements of the president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, rejecting US statements that government ships will not have to pay to travel on the Panama Canal.

Rubio said he thought it was «absurd» that the United States Navy has to pay rates to travel through the channel that is obliged to protect according to the treaty between the United States and Panama.

The Secretary of State, who met with Mulino and the administrators of the Canal and visited the important commercial route earlier this week, said he had no confusion about his conversations with Panama, but «respect a lot that Panama has a process of laws and procedures that must follow. «

«We had conversations. I felt that they were first solid steps. We have expectations … They will follow their process, but our expectations remain the same,» he said.