AN UNEXPECTED tropical downpour provided a fitting backdrop to Tuesday night’s Havana Club reception, as Cuba solidarity activists blasted the government’s lock-out of one of the Miami 5 heroes.

“If this outrage happens a third time we will bus British supporters to Calais to hear Rene Gonzalez speak,” vowed Cuba Solidarity Campaign speaker Adrian Weir.

Mr Gonzalez, who was released from a US jail in 2011 after serving 13 years for monitoring anti-Cuban terrorists, was left stranded in France this March after being unable to take up his invitation from MPs to visit Britain. Three of the five remain behind bars, despite worldwide protests.

To stormy applause, Cuban ambassador Esther Armenteros told delegates: “We are here to build a socialist society in the backyard of the US and that is why they hate us.”

Venezuela Solidarity Campaign’s Colin Burgon tore into the media misrepresentation of the recent unrest in Caracas.

“It’s a revolt of the rich,” he declared.

“It’s no more a people’s revolution than if the residents of Kensington and Chelsea came out on the streets.”