the president of MexicoAndrés Manuel López Obrador, arrived in Cuba this Saturday, as part of a tour of several countries in the region, to discuss the migration issue and strengthen political ties with the Island.
López Obrador and the entourage that accompanies him were received by the Cuban Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodríguez, at the José Martí International Airport in Havana. The foreign minister himself and the Cuban president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, also welcomed him on behalf of the government on their Twitter profiles.
welcome to #CubaDear president @lopezobrador_. Your visit will strengthen the bonds of friendship between our countries, which are already endearing because they overcome time and challenges to settle in the soul of our peoples. #CubaYMexico #AMLOEnCuba pic.twitter.com/RRmfhEy4jw
– Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) May 7, 2022
López Obrador arrived two hours before the officially scheduled time, in accordance with the official site Cubadebateand it did so in a context marked by the tragic explosion at the Saratoga hotel in Havana, which has left so far twenty fatalities.
The publication confirms that his entire agenda will take place on Sunday. In the morning “he will go to the Plaza de la Revolución to place a floral offering in front of the José Martí monument and later he will visit the Memorial to the National Hero of Cuba,” he says.
During his stay in Cuba, López Obrador will also meet with Díaz-Canel and other authorities of the Caribbean country, and will receive the José Martí Order, the highest decoration awarded by the Cuban government, according to the agency. EFE.
The president of Mexico ??, @lopezobrador_is already in #Cuba ??, the last country to visit on the tour of Central America and the Caribbean to endorse cooperation ties with countries in our region. @GobiernoMX @SRE_mx @AMEXCID @EmbaMexCuba pic.twitter.com/8dkOQaTs0A
– Gloria Sandoval Salas (@GSandovalSalas) May 8, 2022
López Obrador’s visit occurs in the midst of the migration crisis that has Mexico as one of the routes chosen by Cuban migrants in their attempt to reach the United States. As a prelude, it has the XV meeting of the Working Group on Bilateral Migratory and Consular Affairs that took place in Mexico City a month ago, the Spanish media specifies.
According to Cuban authorities, the North American country has returned 975 irregular migrants to the island so far this year, through 15 repatriation operations, while more than 60,000 have entered US territory.
Experts consulted by EFE They affirm that López Obrador’s stay will reinforce the uninterrupted bilateral political relationship in force for 120 years, despite the ups and downs of the right-wing Vicente Fox’s mandate (2000-2006).
The subsequent return of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) to the presidency, led by Enrique Peña Nieto (2012-2018), improved bilateral ties.
Already with AMLO in the presidency, these relations have been significantly strengthened. During his tenure, Díaz-Canel and other Cuban authorities have visited Mexico, Cuban doctors went to that country to combat the pandemic, while various donations have come to the island from there.
In addition, the Mexican president has repeatedly advocated the cessation of US sanctions on Cuba and also for the inclusion of the Island in the next Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, despite the refusal of the United States.
EFE / OnCuba
