The FA leader requested information from the Foreign Ministry after news emerged of talks with the US regarding its intention to send deportees—particularly those of Cuban origin—to the South American nation.

  “We have always been an open-door country, but it is one thing to welcome people who want to come to Uruguay, and quite another to have people deported who do not wish to leave their homes and do not wish to come to Uruguay,” he stated.

  Pereira acknowledged that his country faces pressure from the US and urged caution in upholding its long-standing foreign policy, which includes respect for international human rights standards.

  The senior official told the press that “nothing has been agreed upon” and described the current US administration’s migration policy as discriminatory.

Regarding relations with the US, the FA president asked:

“How could we not be concerned when a powerful country is creating objectively negative conditions for Latin American nations?

How could we not be concerned if, overnight, they raise tariffs on us from 10 percent to 12.5 percent? How could we not be concerned if they take measures that could affect Uruguay?

  He added: “One line we will not cross is the violation of human rights. That is a boundary we intend to respect.”

  “When it comes to human rights, the United States has nothing to teach us. Nothing. It is the country that currently has the world at war,” remarked FA Senator Gustavo González.

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