“These remarks, so filled with hatred and derision, have been met with indignation by the Cuban people who are proud of the contribution made by people from everywhere, especially from Africa and Haiti, since the emergence of our nation,” said a statement published on the website of the state-run newspaper Granma.
Earlier, El Salvador sent a note of protest to the US government condemning Trump’s alleged remarks.
In the United States, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) described Trump’s comments as “a low mark for this president” and “a low point for our nation.”
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was equally critical of her onetime rival in last year’s presidential campaign and the US ambassador to Panama has tendered his resignation amid the ongoing scandal.
The UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) has denounced President Trump’s remarks as "shocking and shameful," and "racist."
The Union of African States has been equally “concerned” by Trump’s rhetoric.
In response, the White House defended Trump’s position on immigration.
“Certain Washington politicians choose to fight for foreign countries, but President Trump will always fight for the American people,” White House spokesman Raj Shah told reports on Thursday.
President Donald Trump later admitted having used “tough language” but added that what was really tough was the “outlandish proposal” for a compromise deal of juvenile migrants (DACA) which he believes would be a step back for the United States.
The so-called bipartisan DACA deal presented yesterday to myself and a group of Republican Senators and Congressmen was a big step backwards. Wall was not properly funded, Chain & Lottery were made worse and USA would be forced to take large numbers of people from high crime…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 12 января 2018 г.
He also said that the Democrats "made up" the story, claiming that he referred to Haiti as a "sh*thole country," emphasizing that he had never said "anything derogatory about Haitians."
Trump's reported comments, made during closed-door White House talks on an immigration deal on Thursday, were a reaction to a plan drafted by a bipartisan group of senators to protect juvenile immigrants from deportation and make other changes to immigration laws and border security.
READ MORE: US Judge Blocks Trump's Decision to Rescind DACA Immigration Program — Reports
