Cuba condemns Trump's 'racist' statements on Haiti, El Salvador

HAVANA -- Cuba's Foreign Ministry "strongly" condemned Friday night the "racist, denigrating and gross" statements by US President Donald Trump on Haiti, El Salvador and African states.

"These statements, full of hatred and contempt, produce indignation in the Cuban people, proud of the contribution given throughout its history by nationals and their descendants from different latitudes, particularly Africans and Haitians, to the forging of our nationality," said the Ministry in an official statement.

The document stressed that Cuba joins the strong rejection that these statements have arouse around the world, and expresses its most heartfelt solidarity with all the offended countries.

According to The Washington Post, during an Oval Office meeting on Thursday with US senators to discuss the status of some immigrants in the country, President Trump described Haiti, El Salvador and unspecified African countries as "shitholes."

The Post said that Trump rejected a bipartisan bill that would have restored protections for immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and a handful of African countries.

The president reportedly questioned why the United States would accept more immigrants from Haiti and "shithole countries" in Africa rather than nations like Norway.

His remarks have quickly spread around the world, provoking strong reactions, including those from the United Nations.

UN Spokesman Rupert Colville said Trump's comments, if confirmed, were "shocking and shameful" and opened the door to "humanity's worst side and go against universal values."

Trump on Friday denied describing certain nations as "shithole countries" after triggering international outrage.

In a series of tweets on Friday morning, Trump said the language used by him at the meeting was "tough, but this was not the language used," stressing that he "never said anything derogatory about Haitians."

But Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, who was present at the meeting, told MSNBC on Friday that Trump had used the slur to describe those countries.