Madrid - The Spanish government was Friday expected to lodge a low-key protest with the Cuban embassy over Cuban criticism of Madrid regional Prime Minister Esperanza Aguirre, who was slammed for her anti-Castrist views, the Spanish media reported.

Aguirre has repeatedly criticized the leftist revolution that took place under the leadership of Cuba's former president Fidel Castro 50 years ago, and gave her backing to an anti-Castrist demonstration scheduled for February 1 in Madrid.

The Cuban government newspaper Granma described conservative politician Aguirre as "the main ringleader in the Spanish capital of Cuban-American mafia and terrorists based in the US city of Miami," in a reference to exiled Cubans living there.

The Cuban embassy in Madrid also issued a communique criticizing Aguirre, who was referred to as wanting to become the "spokeswoman of the Miami mafia" in Spain.

Aguirre subsequently asked Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos to intervene.

A senior Foreign Ministry official would inform the embassy that Spain regarded the comments on Aguirre as "inappropriate," requesting "respect" for her as a public official, a ministry spokesman was quoted as saying. (dpa)