Russia‘s ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, said Cuba would not experience a betrayal similar to the one he claims led to the capture of Venezuela’s authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro, drawing a contrast between Havana and Caracas amid escalating tensions between Washington and Moscow in Latin America.
“In Venezuela, without doubt, there was a betrayal,” Nebenzya said in comments to Russian television. “A part of the high-ranking officials, in fact, betrayed the president.” He added that such a scenario would not occur in Cuba, saying: “That trick will not work in Cuba.”
Nebenzya’s remarks, reported by Infobae, follow broader Russian claims that Maduro’s removal was enabled by internal defections. Russia’s ambassador to Venezuela, Serguei Melik-Bagdasarov, said earlier this month that Moscow knew the identities of those who “betrayed” Maduro, arguing that failures by local security forces and actions taken before the operation amounted to treason.
Melik-Bagdasarov also alleged that some officials had cooperated with U.S. intelligence, though he did not provide evidence or names.
Reports have indicated that Delcy Rodríguez, who replaced Maduro as Venezuela’s interim leader, had signaled willingness to work with Washington if Maduro were removed, though sources cited by international media said she did not actively collaborate to topple him. President Donald Trump later announced Rodríguez’s interim leadership and said the U.S. government was “getting along very well” with her administration.
Russia has demanded Maduro’s release and has framed the U.S. operation as an act of aggression. Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev described the January 3 operation in Venezuela as a military attack and expressed condolences to Venezuelan security personnel who died during the events.
President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow supports Cuba’s determination to defend its sovereignty and independence, underscoring the strategic partnership between Russia and Havana, which was reinforced by a military cooperation agreement signed in 2025.
The comments come as Washington intensifies pressure on Cuba. Earlier this week, Trump said the Cuban government “will not survive” after his administration imposed tariffs on countries that supply oil to the island, part of a broader effort to deepen economic pressure. Cuba condemned the measure as an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security and foreign policy.
Originally published on Latin Times
