Migrants avoid population reduction in Uruguay 4:18

(CNN Spanish) -- 

The president of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou, responded this Tuesday to the criticism of his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolás Maduro, who accused him on Sunday of "being complicit" in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

"Institutionally, being on the sidewalk in front of Maduro and Mrs. (Delcy) Rodríguez leaves me with enormous peace of mind2," said Lacalle Pou during an interview on the television program Telenoche, on Channel 4 of Uruguay.

When asked why he maintains his country's Embassy in Caracas, the president pointed out that diplomatic representation is the link with the Venezuelan people.

"Uruguay relates to the Venezuelan people, who we hope will have a democratic government," he added.

• Uruguay calls for consultations the ambassador in Venezuela concerned about the disqualification of María Corina Machado

Maduro criticized his Uruguayan counterpart for considering that he has double standards.

"He plays crazy with Netanyahu's killings and on the other hand he tries to pontificate, pay and play dead in the internal politics of Venezuela, how cool, he tries to give his opinion on Venezuela and remains silent about Palestine, the double standards, the double morality," he pointed.

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On February 12, the vice president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, called the president of Uruguay a "lackey" after he described Venezuela as a dictatorship.

"It would be better for him to attend to the problems of the people of Uruguay instead of meddling in the affairs of Venezuela," said the official.

Rodríguez's statements came after Lacalle called his ambassador in Venezuela for consultations at the beginning of February, following the disqualification of opposition leader María Corina Machado from competing in the elections scheduled for July 28.

Luis Lacalle Pou