The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, this Thursday at the headquarters of his department.Mariscal / EFE
The situation in Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua has been the subject of the first telephone conversation between the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and his Spanish counterpart, José Manuel Albares. According to the statement released by the State Department, Blinken congratulated Albares on his recent appointment on Thursday and, after thanking him for "the long-lasting alliance and deep friendship between the two countries" and committing to "further develop the transatlantic relationship", He has expressed "the support of the United States for the right of Cubans to demonstrate peacefully, for freedom of expression and for democracy." The secretary of state, according to the note,He has also “advocated before his Spanish counterpart for promoting comprehensive negotiations that lead to free and fair elections in Venezuela” and has expressed concern about the situation in Nicaragua. Finally, according to the note, Blinken has been in favor of promoting "safe, orderly and humane migration" and has shared with his Spanish colleague "an interest in addressing the root causes of irregular migration from Central America."
Washington promoted earlier this week a joint declaration condemning the repression of protest demonstrations in Cuba that has been signed by the foreign ministers of 21 countries, including not Spain, but neither Canada nor the main European partners, such as the United Kingdom, France, Germany or Italy.
Spain was in favor of seeking a common EU position.
Precisely this Thursday, on behalf of the Twenty-seven, the High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, has asked the Cuban authorities to "release all those arbitrarily detained, listen to the voice of their citizens and commit to an inclusive dialogue of their demands ”.
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Albares has also reported his first conversation with Blinken, after the new undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, Luis Cuesta, took office.
According to the Spanish Foreign Minister, it was a "cordial" contact in which both have underlined the "strategic alliance" between the two countries and have reviewed a wide range of issues, since the summit of the NATO scheduled for next year in Madrid, to the situation in Latin America, the Mediterranean or the Sahel.
In addition, both have agreed that their teams begin to work so that Albares can make a visit to Washington "as soon as possible" in his words.
The head of Spanish diplomacy has also expressed to Blinken his satisfaction with the nomination of the new United States ambassador to Spain, Julissa Reynoso, and his wish that it be confirmed soon by the Senate and can join soon, according to the note released. by your department.
The Spanish statement also includes, like the American one, that both ministers spoke about the situation in Latin America, but in a generic way, alluding to economic and health problems and mentioning only Central America.
The fact that the State Department expressly cites Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua indicates where its concerns are going and what issues it wants to address with Spain.
