Presence Of Cubans During Tortures In Venezuela Documented - OAS Head

MEXICO CITY (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th December, 2018) The Cuban authorities spread violence and illicit practices across countries in the region, Luis Almagro, the secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), said, adding that in Venezuela, the presence of Cubans during torture had been documented.

"We must take into account the violence being spread by the Cuban dictatorship. We can set out some examples to clarify. In Venezuela, this year the presence of the Cubans in the torture of people has been documented. It is estimated that the Cuban presence in Venezuela is 46,000 people, an occupation force that teaches torture and repression, that does intelligence work, that does civil documentation and migration work," Almagro said at an OAS conference on human rights in Cuba.

The OAS secretary general also referred to the testimonies received from people in Nicaragua who said that Cubans had been present while they were being tortured.

Almagro's speech at the conference was posted on his Twitter account.

In a separate Twitter post, the OAS head called Cuba "a dictatorship, persecuting, murdering, torturing and silencing its people, and teaching others in the region to persecute, murder, torture and silence."

Various human rights groups and international organizations have pointed to Cuba's human rights record. Havana has, however, denied violations of human rights.