Venezuela, whose candidacy had been received with reluctance by Brazil, was not included
14ymedio, Havana, October 24, 2024 — Cuba was admitted this Friday, along with 12 other countries, to the BRICS group, at a time of maximum devastation for the national economy in which the Island desperately seeks the bloc’s help. The announcement was made this Thursday during the XVI summit of the organization, in Kazan, Russia, according to the official media Cubadebate.
Together with the Island, the alliance – originally formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – also welcomed Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. Venezuela, however, was not accepted. Its inclusion had been met with reluctance on the part of Brazil.
Celso Amorim, the right-hand man of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva – who did not attend the conclave – asked to “go slowly” in including the group of emerging economies to the group. “I don’t defend the entry of Venezuela,” Amorim said before the summit. “It’s no use filling BRICS with countries; otherwise, a new G-77 will soon be created.”
Putin’s words reaffirmed that the members of the bloc will have the same support and that the group is open to all those who “share its values”
However, Putin’s words reaffirmed that the members of the bloc will have the same support and that the group is open to all those who “share its values.” To exemplify this, the president spoke of the war in Ukraine. He claimed that the West wanted to turn his country into “a satellite of raw material,” but stressed that, on the other hand, the BRICS partners respect the independence and traditions of Russia. Some, like Cuba, in a more than enthusiastic way and with full support.
In his message, the Russian president pointed out that the group does not create alternatives to the SWIFT system and highlighted that Russia uses its own financial messaging system and that several other Bric countries also use it.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel was unable to attend the summit. The energy situation on the Island, which since Friday suffered a blackout in most of its territory, and the passage of Hurricane Oscar through the eastern provinces, forced him to stay in the country. In his place was Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, with the mission of doing everything possible to achieve the inclusion of Cuba in the bloc.
President Díaz-Canel said that Cuba’s goal was to find in the group a very favorable environment for Cuba
In a tweet about the summit, the president said that Cuba’s goal was to find in the group a “very favorable environment for Cuba,” “cooperation and collaboration,” “mutual benefit” and “the creation of an economic and commercial cooperation structure that does not use the dollar as its currency”; that is, a country linked to large economies, such as Russia or China.
As of now, the bloc temporarily led by Putin has become 45% of the world’s population and a third of the gross domestic product of the entire planet.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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