Lacalle Pou responds to Maduro's criticism of his stance on the conflict between Israel and Hamas

(CNN Spanish) — The President of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou, responded this Tuesday to his criticism of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom he accused on Sunday of being “complicit” in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

“Organizationally, being on the sidewalk in front of Maduro and Mrs. (Delcy) Rodriguez gives me great peace of mind2,” said Laquel Po during an interview with Telenoche on Uruguay's Channel 4.

Asked why he maintains his country's embassy in Caracas, the president pointed out that diplomatic representation is a link with the Venezuelan people. “Uruguay is related to the people of Venezuela, and we believe they will have a democratic government,” he added.

Maduro views his Uruguayan rival as having a double standard.

“He's playing crazy with Netanyahu's murders, and on the other hand he's trying to sanctify, pay and play dead in Venezuela's internal politics, he's trying to make his point about Venezuela, Palestine, double standards, the. double morality,” he pointed out.

On February 12, Venezuela's Vice President Delsey Rodríguez called Uruguay's president a “locky” after he described Venezuela as a dictatorship.

“It would be better for him to attend to the problems of the Uruguayan people instead of meddling in Venezuelan affairs,” the official said.

Rodriguez's statements came after Lockhart called his ambassador to Venezuela in early February for advice, following the disqualification of opposition leader María Corina Machado from running in elections scheduled for July 28.