The Cuban government on Tuesday denied any involvement in the containment of protests in Venezuela and criticized opposition leader María Corina Machado, whom it described as a “promoter of lies” and “representative of the oligarchies” and “the interests” of the United States.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Minrex) lashed out at Machado – whom it did not mention by name – four days after the opposition leader said in an interview with Mexican journalist León Krauze that the island “has had an impact” on “methods of repression, persecution, espionage and torture” in the South American country.
In this regard, the Minrex noted that “once again, invention and delirium come to life in the construction of a matrix of lies against Cuba.” It added that Machado’s statements respond to “the desperation to hide the failure of the coup plans in Venezuela.”
“Cuba emphatically rejects the falsehoods that are being fabricated to reinforce the policy of harassment of various U.S. governments,” the statement said.
He also stressed that the Caribbean country does not “interfere – and will never do so – in the political and economic life of another country with sanctions, pressures and plans for regime change.”
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel on Sunday applauded the pro-government demonstrations that took place on Saturday in response to the opposition marches that took place in the South American country and in dozens of cities around the world that same day.
“The people of Venezuela have spoken again. In marches for peace and against fascism, they have ratified their recognition of President Nicolás Maduro,” Díaz-Canel wrote.
According to the Venezuelan government, post-election protests have left more than 2,400 people arrested and 25 dead.
Thousands of Venezuelans have taken to the streets since President Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner of the July 28 presidential election.
The largest opposition coalition has confirmed that its candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, was the winner of the election night.
Copies of the minutes – which have not been published by the National Electoral Council – have become a symbol of the opposition, which claims to have gathered “83.5%” of these documents, which – they insist – prove González Urrutia’s victory.
Cuba was one of the few countries – along with others such as Russia, China and Nicaragua – to recognize Maduro as the winner.
On the other hand, Brazil and Colombia – and, initially, Mexico – governed by left-wing presidents, have tried to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis and have not yet officially recognized Maduro as the president-elect.
