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Cuba condemns "serious provocation" of OAS chief, illegal opposition group

Xinhua, February 23, 2017 Adjust font size:

The Cuban government condemned on Wednesday an "open and unacceptable provocation" by the Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General, Luis Almagro, and an illegal opposition group which attempted to damage Havana's international image.

In an official statement published by Cuba's foreign ministry on its website, Havana said Almagro was denied a visa to enter Cuba as OAS chief because his visit constituted a "serious provocation."

"As for Almagro and the OAS, we are not surprised by his openly anti-Cuban statements and acts. In a very short time as chief of that organization he has promoted an ambitious agenda of attacks against governments like Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador," said the statement.

Havana added that during Almagro's time at the OAS, "imperialist" attacks against Latin American and Caribbean integration have "redoubled."

The OAS chief was supposed to travel to Havana to receive on Wednesday a "democracy award" named in honor of late Cuban government opponent Oswaldo Paya.

The award was to be issued by the illegal Latin American organization Jovenes por la Democracia (Youths for Democracy), which is headed by Paya's daughter, Rosa Maria Paya.

"The plan was to set up in Havana an open and serious provocation against the Cuban government, generate internal instability, damage the international image of the country and, at the same time, affect Cuba's diplomatic relations with other countries," added the statement.

As the plans were made public, the Cuban government decided to bar all foreign participants of this "illegal" event from entering its national territory, the statement said.

Beyond Almagro, former Mexican President Felipe Calderon, former Chilean minister Mariana Aylwin and other Latin American "pro-democracy" activists were also denied entrance to Cuba.

Havana accused Paya and her illegal organization of sponsoring the event along with other foreign institutions financed by the Washington-promoted National Endowment for Democracy.

"This group (Youths for Democracy) is not recognized inside Cuba, is at the service of foreign interests and acts against the interests of the Cuban people," said the statement. Endi