Cuba defends itself from the United States saying that there are no troops in Venezuela

Cuba has no troops in Venezuela nor participate in security operations, but reserves the right to cooperate with that country in the military and intelligence fields. This is what a Cuban diplomat said in response to accusations by the White House that his forces support the President Nicolás Maduro. Carlos Fernández de Cossío, Director General of American Affairs of the Cuban Chancellery, said the US Agency Associated press that the United States falsely accuses its country of having more than 20,000 military and intelligence agents in Venezuela.

Fernández de Cossío said that there were about 20,000 Cubans in Venezuela, but that they are practically all medical workers. "There are no troops," he said in English. "Cuba does not participate in military operations or security operations in Venezuela". The diplomat added that, although there are no Cuban soldiers on the ground, he could not deny the existence of cooperation in the field of intelligence because "I do not have this information". However, he badured that any cooperation in the military and intelligence field would be "totally legitimate".

"The United States has more than 800,000 employees around the world.and more than 600 to 700 military bases around the world. All countries in our region have military or intelligence cooperation, and we have it with many countries. So it's totally legitimate, it's the sovereign right of Cuba and Venezuela to have it, "he said." But what I'm saying is that despite this right there are no Cuban soldiers or soldiers (in Venezuela), and we do not participate in any military or security operation as has been constantly said, "Fernández de Cossío added.

Maduro: "I will not stop myself from preventing coup leaders"

"The Cuban intelligence services, which have been repressing and censoring their people for 60 years, have invaded Venezuela," he said. Republican Senator Marco Rubio, considered an important influence in the Donald Trump government's policy towards Latin America. "The Cuban regime ensures the safety of Nicolás Maduro, who no longer trusts his compatriots and actively directs operational badistance to crush the Venezuelan opposition."

"Venezuela sent some $ 30 million worth of crude oil to the island between 2003 and 2015. In return, Cuba sends thousands of medical workers and other civilian government employees, "he says. AP. "Cuban programs in Venezuela range from preventive medicine to sports training and agronomy," said US and Venezuelan officials who resigned from government, including intelligence, security and cooperation military.

On the basis of these data, Ben Rhodes, who had negotiated the thaw with Cuba while he was advising President Barack Obama, accused the Trump government of confusing doctors with drug agents. and intelligence, but it is undeniable that Cuba collaborates with the Chavist regime. in security matters. "Cubans have a large number of employees, and probably most of them are doctors, but also I'm sure that they have people in various consulting positions related to ideology and security"

"I do not think it's a question of numbers, I think it's more a question of exactly replicating the strategies, getting advice and having a Cuban presence that they can count on," Rhodes said. who said that Trump's strategy of confronting Cuba and Venezuela has closed the door to the negotiated exit for Maduro. "Cubans and Venezuelans know how to work in this environment," said Rhodes. "They know what it means to be in an ideological game in Latin America in which things stay what they are, they are better at it, they have been doing it for a long time."

"A couple of commanders": the chauvinistic explanation of the military uprising against Maduro

According to US media, Cuba has a sophisticated and professional security and intelligence apparatus that includes thousands of agents who would not be considered military. The opponents and defectors of Venezuela have repeatedly baderted the presence of Cubans in key positions between Venezuelan armed forces and intelligence servicesbut until now, there is no public evidence. Trump says there are more than 20,000 Cuban security operators in Venezuela who directly support Maduro.

"If this afternoon they left Venezuela between 20,000 and 25,000 Cubans, I think Maduro would fall at midnight," said White House National Security Advisor John Bolton on Tuesday. "It is this foreign presence that occupies high positions in the armed forces, in the high office of the government, which prevents any voice of the people." Trump threatened on Tuesday that a "total and absolute embargo is imposed", as well as sanctions at the highest level, on the island of Cuba … if the Cuban troops and militias do not immediately stop the military and other operations "in Venezuela.

Johana Tablada, NCO of Fernández de Cossío, told reporters in Havana that all Cubans in Venezuela were civilians and that 94% of them were taking part in medical missions. Bolton is a "pathological liar" Tablada denounced a long history of false claims, stating in particular in 2001 and 2002 that Iraq possessed a large quantity of chemical weapons and that Cuba possessed biological weapons. The US president has not specified his measures, but warned Fernández de Cossío that the communist regime has resisted a US trade embargo for 60 years and will not stop if it imposes more sanctions.

United States: Maduro "secretly" negotiated his departure with Guaidó

S.D.