The US propaganda that the Venezuelan President was betrayed by Cuban spies is an attempt to tarnish Cuba’s anti-imperialist legacy – Patriotic National Movement

Jan 9, 2026 at 03:30 PM

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Lanka Leader

The Patriotic National Movement has strongly rejected claims circulating internationally that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was betrayed by Cuban spies, describing them as a deliberate propaganda campaign orchestrated by United States psychological-operations units to undermine Cuba’s historic role in global anti-imperialist struggles.

In a press release issued today, the Movement stated that these allegations are aimed at “adding black spots to the mark of excellence that the Cuban people have placed in anti-imperialist world politics in the minds of peace-loving people.”

According to the statement, the narrative blaming Cubans and Haitians for the arrest of the Venezuelan President is not only unfounded but also serves the broader objective of erasing Cuba’s long-standing internationalist legacy. The Movement emphasized that Cuba and Haiti are both nations that have suffered extensively due to U.S. intervention, sanctions, and destabilization.

The Patriotic National Movement further argued that individuals of Cuban origin who may collaborate with U.S. imperial interests should not be identified as representatives of the Cuban people. Instead, such individuals should be described as “Cuban-born agents of imperialism,” stressing that their actions do not reflect the values or sacrifices of the Cuban Revolution.

Drawing historical parallels, the statement noted that figures such as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose parents left Cuba before the Cuban Revolution, are widely recognized as leaders of the imperialist camp and are not regarded by anti-imperialist forces as representatives of Cuba. The same principle, the Movement said, must apply to any alleged espionage activities.

The statement also highlighted Cuba’s internationalist record, recalling the sacrifices of revolutionary leader Che Guevara and the participation of Cuban revolutionaries in liberation struggles across Africa, Latin America, and elsewhere. These included Algeria, the Congo, Angola, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Namibia, and Colombia.

Addressing recent events in Venezuela, the Patriotic National Movement stated that around 200 Cuban security personnel were present in the country to protect President Maduro, and that 32 of them lost their lives while resisting attempts to abduct him. The Movement described these deaths as clear evidence of Cuba’s solidarity with Venezuela, rejecting any suggestion of betrayal.

Concluding its statement, the Patriotic National Movement accused the United States of attempting to erase Cuba’s revolutionary history through disinformation campaigns, and reaffirmed that “no amount of slander can diminish the Cuban people’s contribution to the global anti-imperialist struggle.”

The full statement issued by the Patriotic National Movement is reproduced below.

PRESS RELEASE

Rejecting Slander Against the Cuban People and Defending the Anti-Imperialist Legacy

The illegal arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife by the United States has generated deep concern and outrage among peace-loving and anti-imperialist forces worldwide. In the aftermath of this act, psychological-warfare units aligned with U.S. imperialism have launched a coordinated campaign to distort reality and undermine the historic role of Cuba in global anti-imperialist struggles.

One such malicious narrative being spread is the claim that President Nicolás Maduro was betrayed by Cuban and Haitian individuals. This allegation is a deliberate fabrication intended to tarnish the moral and political standing that the Cuban people have earned through decades of principled resistance to imperialism.

Haiti, a nation devastated by repeated U.S. interventions, and Cuba, a country subjected to relentless economic sanctions and political hostility by the United States, have both suffered immensely at the hands of imperialism. Due to U.S. policies that have encouraged Cuban migration and provided special facilities to Cuban émigrés, it is well known that a section of Cuban-born individuals living in the United States have been absorbed into imperialist structures. Such individuals, if involved in acts of espionage or betrayal, must not be identified as representatives of the Cuban people, but rather as Cuban-born servants of imperialism.

This distinction is crucial. The current U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, whose parents left Cuba in 1953—prior to the Cuban Revolution—is widely recognized as a leader within the imperialist camp. He is not regarded by anti-imperialist forces as a Cuban representative, nor is the revolutionary legacy of Cuba attributed to him. The same principle must apply in the present case.

Branding alleged spies as “Cubans” is an insult to the historic sacrifices made by the Cuban people. It diminishes the legacy of revolutionary icons such as Che Guevara, who gave his life in Bolivia for the global anti-imperialist struggle.

Following the victory of the Cuban Revolution, Cuban revolutionaries did not confine their efforts solely to national development. Instead, they fulfilled their internationalist duty by standing with liberation movements across the world. In the 1960s, Cuban revolutionaries fought alongside anti-colonial forces in Algeria and the Congo. From 1975 to 1991, thousands of Cubans fought together with the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola to free the Angolan people from colonial domination.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Cuban revolutionaries supported and fought alongside liberation movements in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Namibia, and Colombia. This legacy of international solidarity is a matter of historical record and a source of pride for anti-imperialist forces worldwide.

It must also be clearly stated that approximately 200 Cuban armed forces personnel were operating on Venezuelan soil to protect the life of President Nicolás Maduro. Thirty-two of them sacrificed their lives while resisting attempts to kidnap the Venezuelan President. These martyrs stand as undeniable evidence of Cuba’s solidarity with Venezuela, not of betrayal.

The United States seeks to erase this glorious history from the consciousness of the world’s oppressed peoples. This slander campaign is part of that broader imperialist strategy.

We firmly emphasize that no matter how many false accusations or disinformation campaigns are launched against Cuba, the Cuban people’s historic and ongoing contribution to the global anti-imperialist struggle will never be diminished.

Dr. Wasantha Bandara

General Secretary

Patriotic National Movement

09th of January 2026