The Cuban regime has called for an end to "interference" in Venezuela and condemned the resolution passed by countries in the Organization of American States (OAS) concerning the electoral fraud committed by Nicolás Maduro's regime. "As we warned, an interventionist resolution on Venezuela was imposed in the OAS. This organization, which supported coups, dictatorships, and did not condemn US invasions in the region, lacks the authority to urge our countries to submit to spurious mandates. End the interventionism," tweeted Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla.
The OAS Permanent Council approved a resolution on Friday, by consensus, urging Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) to publish the July 28 presidential election results by polling station. Pushed by the United States, the resolution also called on the CNE to "respect the fundamental principle of popular sovereignty through an impartial verification of results that ensures transparency, credibility, and legitimacy of the electoral process."
The consensus text gathered concerns expressed by several regional countries regarding the transparency and fairness of elections rigged by a regime that seeks to perpetuate itself in power by ignoring the popular will expressed at the polls by Venezuelans. It also condemned the repression unleashed by Nicolás Maduro following the electoral fraud and the peaceful protests called by the opposition.
OAS Report Accuses Cuban Regime of Aiding in Repression
According to the independent international fact-finding mission on Venezuela, established by the UN Human Rights Council, at least 23 deaths, most by gunfire, have been documented in the context of protests that have rocked the country. Additionally, the mission recorded the detention of at least 1,260 people, including 160 women, although Venezuela's Attorney General raised the number to over 2,200 detainees, many of whom have been branded "terrorists."
The resolution, adopted without a public vote, succeeded two weeks after a previous draft discussed on July 31 failed to gather enough votes for approval. In that session, the document received 17 of the 18 necessary votes, with 11 abstentions and five absences.
Denounced as fraudulent by most countries in the international community, the Venezuelan election results proclaimed by the CNE have only been recognized by a handful of Maduro regime allies, including Cuba, Russia, China, and Iran.
The protests from Havana against the alleged "interference" of Latin American countries in Venezuela's "internal affairs" contrast sharply with the Cuban regime's penetration into the South American country's institutions, especially in the armed sectors and in advising on social control and repression.
In May, the OAS presented the seventh annual report of the Casla Institute, tasked with sharing with Latin America the lessons of democracy and economy that can be drawn from the transformation of former communist countries in Eastern Europe. Compiled by independent international experts, the study denounced Cuban advice in Venezuela's repressive machinery and called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate its intervention and participation in crimes against humanity in Venezuela.
Tamara Sujú, director of the Casla Institute, read during the report's presentation the testimony of a Venezuelan torture victim who recounted how she was hung upside down and whipped on the feet, causing her nails to fall off after a few days. "There was a Cuban, who laughing, said to the person whipping me, 'It seems you're not hitting hard enough. I think I'll have to show you how it's done.' That Cuban brutally whipped my feet."
"After the 2014 protests, Maduro led the persecution, supported by the Cuban regime's experience in repression and surveillance, application of intimidating techniques, torture to subdue opponents and dissidents, allowing them to participate in the planning and execution of torture and sexual violence," added Sujú.
The Casla Institute identified a semi-secret unit of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin) dedicated to training agents at what they call Base Cien. There, explained Sujú, high-ranking Cuban officers are dedicated to training officials who infiltrate political parties.
"We call on the ICC investigation team handling the Venezuela case to investigate the Cuban regime for its direct participation in the formation, planning of repression, persecution, and induction of crimes classified under the Rome Statute," stressed Sujú after denouncing the Cuban regime at the ICC for crimes against humanity committed in Venezuelan territory.
The denunciation includes three parts. The first is a summary of Cuban interference in Venezuela and the imposition of the Castro-communist ideological model in all public institutions, security and intelligence agencies, and the National Armed Forces, where witnesses from Cuba and Venezuela narrated to the Court how this fusion occurred.
The second part includes testimonies from military personnel and civilians and their experiences with the Cuban government, either because they worked with them within the institutional structure, were trained in Venezuela and Cuba by Cuban officers, or had direct contact with Cuban military or intelligence agents.
Finally, the third part includes the testimonies of torture victims induced or executed by Cuban officers, together with Venezuelan officials, Sujú insisted.
The Casla Institute obtained eight confidential agreements signed between Cuba and Venezuela on May 26, 2008, by General Álvaro López Miera, then Deputy Minister of Cuba's Armed Forces and Chief of Staff, and General Gustavo Reyes Rangel Briceño, Minister of People's Power for Defense. López Miera is currently Cuba's Minister of Defense.
The first agreement between Venezuela and Cuba discusses the creation and conditions for the Cuban Coordination and Liaison Group's presence in Venezuela. The second pertains to the development of the Military Intelligence Service, and the third agreement is about technical assistance in counterintelligence.
Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla and his 2019 statements denying Cuban intervention
"A government recognized for its use of lies has Bolton as a high exponent. He lies when he says there are 25,000 Cuban troops in Venezuela. He accompanies a truth: he confesses the application of the Monroe Doctrine," tweeted the Cuban Foreign Minister in March 2019 with the hashtag #HandsOffVenezuela.
A month earlier, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó stated that "if there is an intervention in Venezuela, it is that of Cuba," a view shared and denounced by the United States.
Around the same time, a team of Univision journalists led by Jorge Ramos reported being detained at the Miraflores Palace during an interview that made Nicolás Maduro uncomfortable. The reporters, who were deported, claimed that Cuban agents participated in the operation.
In September 2018, Cuban troops participated in military maneuvers alongside Venezuela's National Armed Forces (FAN), as reported by the Infodefensa portal. The military exercises, held on the border between Colombia and Venezuela, also included troops from Russia and China.
"Come on, Mr. Bruno Rodríguez, these are no longer the times when everything was hidden from the world. And when Fidel stood up to speak about Proletarian Internationalism. The time for lies is over, Mr. Bruno. Time is up. Tick-tock, Tick-tock..." reminded independent journalist Yordan Roque Álvarez to the Cuban Foreign Minister in March 2019.
His words were reproduced on the social media channels of the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights (OCDH), which published an extensive list of Cuban military and repressive forces present in Venezuela.
Key Issues in Venezuelan Political Turmoil
To provide further insight into the ongoing crisis in Venezuela, we address some key questions and answers related to the situation.
What is the main accusation against the Cuban regime in Venezuela?
The main accusation is that the Cuban regime has been deeply involved in advising and assisting Nicolás Maduro's government in repression and social control, including the use of torture and other human rights violations.
Who presented the report accusing Cuba of repression in Venezuela?
The report was presented by the Casla Institute, an organization that reports on democracy and human rights issues in Latin America, and was compiled by independent international experts.
What actions have been taken against the Cuban regime for its role in Venezuela?
The Casla Institute has called on the International Criminal Court to investigate the Cuban regime for its involvement in crimes against humanity in Venezuela, including torture and repression.
How has the international community responded to the Venezuelan election results?
The international community, particularly the OAS, has largely denounced the elections as fraudulent. The results have been recognized by only a few countries allied with Maduro's regime, such as Cuba, Russia, China, and Iran.