Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has defended oil shipments to Cuba, arguing that they reflect a historical relationship between the two nations and are based on humanitarian reasons.
During her morning press conference, the president asserted that “everything is legal and is part of something that has been done with Cuba for a long time.” She also announced that Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) will make public the exact figures for barrels shipped and the market price at which they are delivered.
“And it is important that this be known… We are doing this within a legal framework, as a sovereign country, and secondly, we are continuing a series of support measures that our country has historically provided to Cuba,” she emphasized, presenting a timeline of cooperation between the two nations.
This cooperation, the Mexican leader explained, dates back decades. The Mexican president cited as a key example 1994, during the so-called “Special Period” on the island, when a $350 million investment was formalized to modernize the Cienfuegos refinery, in a strategic swap operation (debt-for-investment exchange).
The chronology of support continued in 2012, she said, with the signing of letters of intent for Pemex to provide technical assistance to the Cuban state-owned company CUPET.
This agreement sought to facilitate Mexican participation in exploration projects that Cuba was carrying out with international consortiums. Later, in 2013, during Enrique Peña Nieto’s administration, 70 percent of a historical debt that Cuba owed to Pemex was forgiven, with the remaining balance restructured to promote bilateral trade.
“Mexico was the only country that opposed the embargo from the outset. So, regardless of the political party, there has been a Mexico-Cuba relationship. This isn’t new, it’s not a new situation, and everything is done within the framework of the law and also for humanitarian reasons toward the Cuban people.”
IMAGE CREDIT: Claudia Sheinbaum specified that Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) will make public the exact figures for the number of barrels shipped and the market price at which they are delivered. Photo: EFE.
[ SOURCE: teleSUR ]
