Senior leaders including Vice-President Nicolas Maduro, the head of the National Assembly Diosdado Cabello, and Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez have been travelling to and from Cuba in recent weeks.

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As a professional politician educated in Cuba, she has served as head of the National Assembly and as Housing Administrator in the current government of Martin Torrijos, the moderate son of the late dictator Omar Torrijos.

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The head of the New Jersey Assembly called for Rice to be fired.

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