Dialogue With Cuba and Venezuela Is Not a US Policy Priority

The U.S. Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs Juan Gonzalez on Thursday confirmed that a change in policy towards Cuba and Venezuela are not priorities for President Joe Biden.

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"The commitments made by the U.S. to the government of President Miguel Diaz-Canel will be fulfilled gradually. Biden is focused on addressing other crises worldwide," he said.

In Dec. 2015, Cuba's President Raul Castro and U.S. President Barack Obama announced the normalization of bilateral relations and the reopening of embassies. 

Later, however, President Donald Trump reversed the process and imposed over 240 sanctions against the Cuban government over his term (2017-2021). 

Three months after swearing-in as President, "Biden has no rush on resuming diplomatic ties with the Caribbean country," Gonzalez added.

He also assured that the U.S. is not also interested in dialoguing with Venezuela because the Biden administration considers that President Nicolas Maduro must "negotiate" with Juan Guaido the future of the South American country.

This attitude, however, has been criticized by the Bolivarian government, which has never closed the possibility of dialogue with the United States.

"Biden insists on maintaining an irrational position towards Venezuela and Cuba. Our government has sent messages to the White House, but we have received no answers," Venezuela's Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza.

"We have learned to coexist and overcome the sanctions that Biden insists on maintaining despite their incalculable damage to our peoples. Venezuela and Cuba will remain open to dialogue," he added.