And it must be the Cubans who decide because Cuba is a free, independent, and sovereign country. There should be no interventionism, the health situation of the Cuban people should not be used for political purposes. No politicization, no media campaigns, which are already taking place worldwide. Humanitarian support should not be used as a banner to interfere in matters that should only be resolved by the Cubans.

If the government of Cuba considers it necessary and its people demand it, the government of México can help with medicines, vaccines, whatever is required. And with food, because health and food are fundamental human rights.

What could the US do to express solidarity with the protesters?

The first thing they should do is to suspend the blockade of Cuba as most of the countries of the world are requesting.

That would be a truly humanitarian gesture. No country in the world should be encircled, blockaded. That is the most contrary thing there can be to human rights.

Are their foreign influences in the protests?

A group called Article 19, which is a journalistic association financed by the US Embassy, said it “rejects the call by the president of Cuba” [to stop the demonstrations]. Who are they to make these judgments? If it has to do with journalism, if it has to do with information, it should be transmitted with objectivity, with professionalism, without bias, not in a tendentious manner. Well, look [holding up a photo from the group’s reporting], it turns out that the image is not from Havana, it is from Egypt. A montage. The lie is reactionary, the truth is revolutionary.

What do you think of the pronouncements of the Cuban president?

When we recently had a worsening of the pandemic and we did not have doctors to attend to COVID patients, we spoke to the Cuban government and they sent us doctors and nurses, hundreds of doctors, who saved lives in our country.

So love is repaid with love, as José Martí used to say. We will always be in solidarity with Cuba and with all the peoples of the world. That is our foreign policy.