Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez downplayed on Friday widespread criticism of Cuban Minister Ramiro Valdés, as an advisor on electricity issues, and claimed that his presence in the country is like the visit of any other foreign delegation.

"Those mad people, cashing on their availability of a significant number of media outlets, have made such a fuss because a Cuban commission came to work together with our experts on the electricity issue (…) The mad bourgeoisie and his media outlets and spokespersons say it is high treason, meddling of Fidel's empire in Venezuela. It is aid; it is cooperation; it is the result of international cooperation relations that Venezuela has managed to establish with 99 percent of countries in the world," he said.

The president reported that an Argentinean delegation, headed by Minister of Federal Planning Julio De Vido was to arrive on Friday in order to explore the energy subject.

He noted that Venezuelan Ambassador to Argentina Alicia Castro sent him a paper with the input of an Argentinean team that visited Venezuela concerning the electricity situation in the country.