“There to celebrate the New Years”. Storm over Gualtieri’s ‘smoky’ trip to Cuba

He spent six days in Cuba, welcoming the arrival of the New Year in the Caribbean island: however, despite a holiday trip, at least admittedly, Robert Gualtieri He held an official meeting with the local government to discuss Expo 2030.

Travel to the island

The story of the besieging of the mayor of the capital, which caused a real stir, came to light thanks to him. “paper”. The meeting, documented by the “Prensa Latina” agency with numerous photos of the participants, took place on Wednesday, December 28 without any mention of the mayor’s event. Gualtieri met with the Cuban Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gerardo Benal, in the presence of the Italian Ambassador to Cuba Roberto Vellano and the Foundation’s Director General, along with some of his staff. Expo 2030 Joseph Scognamiglio.

The summit will be organized precisely with the aim of arguing for Rome’s candidacy as the host city of the important event. After talking about the possibility of “strengthening friendship” between Italy and CubaGualtieri would have used the opportunity to support Rome’s candidacy in other cities still running for the Expo 2030 target: Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Busa (South Korea) and Odessa (Ukraine).

The mayor, who was expected to return to the capital to attend Benedict XVI’s funeral, was hit by controversy fueled by the aura of mystery surrounding the trip. Despite all this Giuseppe Scognamiglio continued his journey to support Rome’s candidacy, and later traveled to Panama and Santo Domingo.“We Met the Mayor in Cuba”The Director General of the Foundation explained to the press. “I was the guest of my friend Vellano, the mayor, and I do not know who accompanied him”.

Attack on Gualtieri

“For reasons that escape us, the capital apparently did not give any news about the corporate meeting,” said the Raghi civic list municipal councillor. Antonio de Santis.“The mayor certainly has no obligation to say where and how he spends his personal vacations.”He added,“But it is a precise duty to communicate and publicize the types of meetings abroad, including the city and its associated interests”. “We are determined”De Sandys concluded, “Gualtieri will have no problem clarifying whether his stay on Cuban soil is more of a personal pleasure vacation or an institutional mission focused on the Rome/Havana bilateral agreement”.

Answer

The mayor’s staff is talking about vacations, not work. “They are the first holiday After two difficult years in the Covid administration as Economy Minister and elected as Mayor”They clarified from the capital and explained the reason for their early return to the capital.“A holiday ended just before the Pope’s funeral, when he set the meeting for the Expo”.

So nothing planned? No, at least according to the person’s collaborators. “Regarding the reports of Councilor de Sanctis, the Mayor made a private trip to Cuba at his own expense, during which he had honorary meetings with the Deputy Foreign Minister and the Governor of Havana, explaining the Rome candidacy. Talk about the Expo and the cooperation between the two capitals”, reads an official note from the Capitol. Gualtieri himself added later in the evening: “Overseas, the government does not pay the expenses Buffer share: In Italy, wherever I go, two agents must follow me”.