Cuban Government Denies Being Behind Protests in Latin America

Bruno Rodriguez Parrila, Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. (EFE)

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Havana, 2 November 2019 — On Friday, Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodriguez, denied the allegations assured by the OAS and the Trump administration that his government is behind the social protests in Latin America as well as supporting the government of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.

“Maliciously, Cuba is accused of being guilty of what is happening in Venezuela and of the recent popular demonstrations against the ruthless neoliberalism that is advancing in the region,” Rodriguez said during the so-called Anti-Imperialist Encounter in Havana.

Washington also assures that Cuba militarily supports the government of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, an important ally and fuel supplier of the Island.

“The United States needs to blame Cuba for its resounding failure in Venezuela, and it needs to justify the tightening of the blockade” against the island, the minister added before an audience of international left-wing groups.

Last week, the secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, denounced a “pattern” of destabilization coming from Venezuela and Cuba, oriented first to Colombia and Ecuador and then to Chile.

Almagro attributed a responsibility in the massive anti-government mobilizations in the region to these two countries.

For his part, U.S. President Donald Trump called his Chilean colleague Sebastián Piñera to express his support before the wave of social protests and denounced that there are “foreign efforts to undermine institutions” in that country.

A State Department official, who asked not to be identified, reported that Russia — an ally of Cuba’s — carried out activities “to give a negative impact to the debate in Chile.” Moscow also rejected the accusations.

Trump’s call to Piñera came at a time when Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel was concluding a visit to Russia.

“We have no participation or involvement in the protests in Latin America other than, as Che Guevara said, that of the example of the Cuban Revolution,” said Foreign Minister Rodríguez.

Translated by: Rafael Osorio

___________________

The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. You can help crowdfund a current project to develop an in depth multimedia report on dengue fever in Cuba; the goal is modest, only $2,000. Even small donations by a lot of people will add up fast. Thank you!