Spain, Mexico & Brazil call for dialogue over Cuba crisis as Latin American nation deals with US pressure

Mexico, Spain and Brazil joined hands to raise their concerns over the energy and economic crisis in Cuba, which was triggered after months of pressure from the United States. In the joint statement, the three nations urged US President Donald Trump to have a "sincere and respectful dialogue" with the Latin American nation.

Without explicitly mentioning the United States, the three nations on Saturday shared “deep concern regarding the grave humanitarian crisis that the people of Cuba are enduring, and call for the adoption of necessary measures to alleviate this situation”. Interestingly, all three nations are led by leftist governments.

The statement was publicly shared by Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and called for a “sincere and respectful dialogue” in line with international law. "The purpose of such a dialogue should be to find a lasting solution to the current situation and to ensure that it is the Cuban people themselves who decide their own future in full freedom,” the statement read.

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The appeal from the three nations came during a summit of leftist leaders, which took place in Barcelona. The summit was led by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, one of the biggest critics of the US and Israel’s bombing campaigns in the Middle East.

The summit was attended by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The three leaders were among those who attended and who called for efforts to “protect democracy”.

For months, Cuba has been bracing for a possible attack in light of repeated warnings from Trump that Cuba is “next” after he toppled Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro and went to war against Iran. Trump has imposed an oil blockade of Cuba, aggravating the impoverished island’s worst economic and energy crisis in decades.

With inputs from AFP.