Reception of the President of the Republic Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez to the Vice-President of Colombia Francia Marquez Mina. Author: Revolutionary Research
“Welcome. We greatly admire you and love you very much for your struggle.” Thus, the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and the President of the Republic, Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, fraternally received on Thursday afternoon from the capital Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña Vice President of the Republic of Colombia, France Marques Mina.
To those who came to the island for the official visit program, a high-ranking official said: “It is a joy for us that you are here.” And Francia Marquez sincerely thanked for this idea and expressed her satisfaction with the match.
The head of state told the vice-president of the fraternal country: “We are following all your social and political activities; We share many of your criteria on culture, gender equality, African descent….”
In that natural and emotional meeting that took place a few minutes before the opening of the 31st. At the Havana International Book Fair in the fortress of San Carlos de la Cabaña, Diaz-Canel wanted to take advantage of the conversation to convey “a fraternal embrace to President Petro and to repeat the invitation to visit us.”
The Cuban President reflected: “I think we are going through an interesting and important moment in Latin America and the Caribbean.” He said this because, in his opinion, the coming to power of a government like the current one in Colombia and Lula in Brazil “opened new hopes in the area.”
Diaz-Canel thanked the Colombian government for all the support given to the island when a fire broke out at a supertanker base in the province of Matanzas, and also as a result of the devastating passage of Hurricane Yan.
He also expressed his heartfelt gratitude for all the support that the Republic of Colombia has given the Caribbean nation on the international stage to end the blockade that Cuba is suffering from and to remove the island from the list of countries that allegedly sponsor terrorism. .
“We attach great importance to this visit of yours,” the President of the host country emphasized, emphasizing that it takes place within the framework of the Havana International Book Fair, a cultural event, this time dedicated, as the President noted, to Colombia. : This is something, he said, that “has a lot to do with our identity, with what we share, and with the will that we also show with your government to be able to renew relations between Cuba and Colombia.”
“I think,” the head of state told the Vice President of Colombia, “that now is the time when we can do a lot together, and we are at your disposal.”
For her part, Francia Marquez Mina said: “Mr. President, thank you very much for hosting us here, for such a special invitation from Colombia to participate in the Havana Book Fair. I’m glad to be here.”
He then recalled that he had previously been in the Greater Antilles as a community leader and a victim of armed conflict when he took part in the peace talks held in Havana, “and now I come as vice president with the same commitment to contribute, making every possible effort to return to Colombia and Latin America the peace we deserve as a people.
The brave fighter affirmed the desire to do everything possible to resume, as Diaz-Canel has already put it, relations between the two countries, “those ties that were there historically”, those ties that “were there, intact.” . . .
Colombia is a country that loves Cuban culture, recalled the friendly vice president, who later referred to all the efforts made by the Greater Antilles to “help us
find ways and opportunities for peace.” According to him, this is something for which “Colombia will always be indebted to Cuba.”
“Here we are: building,” said the distinguished guest, who was accompanied during the exchange by her husband Yerni Pinillo Okoro; Minister of Culture Patricia Arisa Flores; and Deputy Foreign Minister Francisco Coy.
On the Cuban side were Politburo member and Foreign Minister (Minrex) Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla; Minister of Culture Alpidio Alonso Grau; as well as Minrex Vice Minister Josephine Vidal Ferreira and the organization’s director for South America, Carlos de Cespedes.
Later, President Díaz-Canel and the Vice President of the Republic of Colombia attended the inauguration on the 31st. International book fair, which was attended by other leaders and representatives of both peoples.
In this open space, Francia Márquez once again expressed her gratitude to Cuba for lighting up paths such as dignity, peace and justice; and she emphatically declared that the Caribbean island, which had fought so hard for peace, could not be included in any list of hostilities.
Toward the end of the day, inspired by the culture and brotherhood between our peoples, the Head of State, together with the Vice President of Colombia, opened an exhibition of books brought to Havana from the land of his beloved writer Gabriel García Márquez. Accompanied by his wife, Lis Cuesta Peras, the authorities of Cuba and Colombia, as well as representatives of the intelligentsia of both countries, the president toured places that pay tribute to their kindred culture.
Source: Juventud Rebelde
