Uruguayan Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin in a virtual conversation with Daniela Díaz, the wife of a Uruguayan citizen detained in Venezuela since October 2024. Photo: Uruguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Guacamaya, June 10, 2025. Uruguay’s Foreign Minister, Mario Lubetkin, stated on Tuesday that the lack of diplomatic ties with Venezuela is causing practical problems, making it necessary to work toward some form of consular arrangement—though full relations are not expected to be restored at this time.
The Uruguayan government is considering different options to reopen consular channels with Venezuela. This comes in a context where relations between the two countries have been frozen since mid-2024. Foreign Minister Lubetkin highlighted the complications his government faces due to the absence of even minimal official representation in Venezuela.
“Everything is becoming more complicated with Venezuela because we lack consular relations. We are looking to speed up pathways—not to reestablish diplomatic relations, which are not on the agenda today—but to establish some kind of consular mechanism,” Lubetkin declared during a press conference on Tuesday.
The diplomatic crisis escalated in July 2024 when the Venezuelan government ordered the withdrawal of its personnel from Uruguay in response to the then-Uruguayan government, led by Luis Lacalle Pou, refusing to recognize Nicolás Maduro as the winner of the presidential elections.
By March 2025, with a new government in office in Montevideo, Lubetkin emphasized that relations with Venezuela were at zero. He also made it clear that Uruguay does not recognize Edmundo González Urrutia as president, nor does it accept Nicolás Maduro as its legitimate leader. This stance has left both countries in a sort of diplomatic paralysis, which is now beginning to create practical day-to-day challenges.
Additionally, Lubetkin reaffirmed on Tuesday the government’s commitment to efforts aimed at securing the release of Fabián Buglione, a Uruguayan citizen detained in Venezuela since October 2024.
During a virtual conversation with Daniela Díaz, Buglione’s wife, the minister expressed the government’s concern over the case and conveyed official support regarding the human and legal repercussions of the situation. “Uruguay remains committed to efforts to secure Fabián Buglione’s release,” Lubetkin stated.
At the same time, he noted that Uruguay is actively coordinating with the United States to monitor the detention conditions of the Uruguayan citizen and advance joint actions for his prompt release.
Lubetkin stressed the urgency of accelerating the process to find a way to address consular matters requiring immediate attention. However, he made it clear that this does not mean his government will change its political stance regarding the situation in Venezuela.
