Canada has refused to allow Belarussian Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky's plane to land for refueling en route to Cuba
The Canadian government, which last month froze most ties with Belarus to protest against the controversial presidential vote last month, said it had strong concerns about the country's commitment to democratization and human rights.
"In light of these concerns, we were not prepared to facilitate the entry of senior-level representatives of the Belarussian regime onto Canadian soil," said a foreign ministry spokeswoman.
In Havana, a Belarussian embassy spokesman said the reason Canada gave was that Mr Sidorsky's delegation included officials banned from entering the European Union for their role in the presidential election.
The plane refueled in Boston instead, delaying Mr Sidorsky's arrival in Havana. "This is so childish. Does Canada belong to the European Union?" the spokesman said.
The EU imposed a visa ban on top Belarussian officials considered responsible for the elections, which the United States, Canada and the EU condemned as unfair.
Communist Cuba was among the first countries to recognize the re-election of Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko for a third term.
Mr Sidorsky, who was reappointed on Monday, was expected to meet President Fidel Castro tomorrow afternoon. Havana established diplomatic relations with the former Soviet republic in 1992.