Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a staunch ally of Havana, on Monday July 12 supported his counterpart Miguel Diaz-Canel
"to the people of Cuba"
and
"to the revolutionary government of Cuba"
, in the aftermath of anti-regime demonstrations on the 'Isle.
Read also: In Cuba, the demonstrators challenge the Castro regime
Nicolas Maduro, who was trained in Cuba, said he gave
“all his support to President Miguel Diaz-Canel, all his support to the people of Cuba, to the revolutionary government of Cuba.
From here in Venezuela,
(we are)
brothers in good times and bad.
Cuba will come out of it
(...)
We have been inflicted the same method ”
.
“The same method of asphyxiation and persecution has been applied in Cuba for 60 years.
Now the North American Empire is coming to talk nonsense.
If the United States and the extremist opponents really want to
(...)
help the Cuban people, let them immediately lift the sanctions and the blockade against the people of Cuba ”
, continued the Venezuelan president during an intervention on public television
Maduro, whose election, boycotted by the opposition in 2018 was not recognized by the international community, faced major protests in his country, particularly in 2017. Washington imposed economic sanctions on Caracas in an attempt oust Maduro from power and he regularly accuses the United States of trying to destabilize his country.
On a similar ideological line, Venezuela and Cuba have maintained close relations since the coming to power of Hugo Chavez (1999-2013) who considered Fidel Castro as his spiritual father.
Cuba has helped Caracas a lot since the US sanctions.
Read also: Cuba, exile at all costs
Unprecedented protests took place on Sunday in dozens of towns and villages in Cuba. Thousands of Cubans spontaneously took to the streets on Sunday shouting
"We are hungry"
,
"Freedom"
and
"Down with the dictatorship"
. Cubans have been hit hard by the economic crisis which has exacerbated food and medicine shortages and forced the government to shut off electricity for several hours a day. Several dozen people have been arrested since Sunday and their relatives crowded around the police stations on Monday to get news, according to AFP journalists.