The Cuban regime calls Venezuelan leader María Corina Machado "lying."

The Cuban regime, a loyal ally and dependent on chavismo, today labeled the opposition leader María Corina Machado as "lying," and accused her of attempting to "involve the Cuban state in alleged practices of repression, espionage, persecution, and torture" in Venezuela.

A statement from the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs claims that the Venezuelan opposition is trying to hide its "failure" in the elections and "deceive public opinion with false and malicious accusations, which aim to implicate the Cuban state in alleged practices of repression, espionage, persecution, and torture in that country."

Specifically, the text rejects statements from Machado that point to Havana for interference, manipulation, and incitement to violence in Venezuela.

In an interview with León Krauze for the magazine Letras Libres, Machado stated that the Cuban regime's advisory role in repressive measures has been known for a long time and has been documented by international and non-governmental organizations.

As is customary in the Cuban official discourse when discrediting uncomfortable figures, Cuba accused Machado of receiving "millions of dollars from a U.S. lobbying group, with the purpose of financing his campaign and generating destabilization in Venezuela."

"It is not Cuba that interferes – and it never will – in the political and economic life of another country with sanctions, pressures, and regime change plans. It is not Cuba that launches a media campaign to undermine Venezuelan institutions, putting the lives of thousands of people at risk and disregarding the will of the majority," stated the Foreign Ministry.

The statement from Havana tries to provide support to its old ally, the chavista government led by Nicolás Maduro, which is currently facing a credibility crisis following allegations of electoral fraud after the presidential elections last July.

The opposition, led by Machado, published voting records that declare their candidate, Edmundo González, as the clear winner.

However, Maduro was declared the winner and unleashed a cruel repression that claimed the lives of more than twenty Venezuelans in the massive protests where he was accused of stealing the elections.

The Chavista regime refused to present evidence of having won the elections, while the UN stated that the elections were rife with irregularities.