Pretoria, April 26 (RHC) -- The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) condemned on Friday the violation of Cuba's sovereignty by the United States through its so-called ZunZuneo project.

In a communique, the union coalition said the government of the United States, through its USAID arm, covertly developed and operated a social network similar to Twitter in Cuba, called Zunzuneo, meant to destabilize the Cuban government and spur popular dissent.

Furthermore, COSATU cataloged the U.S. program as coward and illegal, saying such actions undermine international law, peaceful co-existence and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Cuban people.

“We have seen the same kind of political destabilization by the U.S. in Venezuela, Chile, Nicaragua and other states, where U.S. foreign policy sought to overthrow democratically elected governments and install puppet and surrogates of Washington in the name of democracy,” the statement added.

In the document, COSATU also reaffirmed its unwavering support for the Cuban people and Revolution, as well as its demand for the immediate release of the remaining three of the Cuban Five and the lifting of the U.S. economic blockade against Cuba.