Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro (C) delivering a speech next to Vice-president Delcy Rodriguez (R) and the President of the Constituent Assembly Diosdado Cabello (L) during a meeting with members of the National Defense Council at Miraflores Presiden
Havana: Venezuela's Socialist party chief Diosdado Cabello, on a surprise visit to key ally Cuba, met Friday with Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez shortly before the Cuban headed to Canada for talks on the Venezuela crisis.
Rodriguez described the talks in Havana with Cabello -- a key member of President Nicolas Maduro's inner circle -- as "fraternal and fruitful."
Rodriguez was expected later Friday in Toronto for talks on the Venezuelan crisis with Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Canada is a prominent non-Latin American member of the 12-nation Lima Group, set up to find a solution to the Venezuelan crisis. Freeland met Rodriguez in Havana in May.
The Lima Group on Thursday called on Venezuela's foreign backers "in particular Russia, China, Cuba and Turkey," to stop propping up Maduro's government.
Cabello is on a two day visit to the Communist-run island, officially to hold preparatory meetings ahead of a meeting of the Sao Paulo Forum, an alliance of Latin American left-wing parties.
Caracas is to host the meeting in July.
Cuba said Thursday its support for Maduro is "not negotiable".
