Havana, Aug 7 (Prensa Latina) Sri Lanka, one of the first countries to recognize the Cuban Government in 1959 after the triumph of the Revolution led by Fidel Castro, on Wednesday reaffirmed its willingness to promote relations of friendship and cooperation.
Comandante Ernesto Che Guevara’s visit to Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, in August 1959 as a special envoy of the Cuban Government “paved the way for a lasting relationship between the two countries,” this country’s Ambassador to Cuba, Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne said. Speaking at an anniversary ceremony at Hotel Nacional de Cuba’s 1930 Hall on Tuesday evening, the diplomat affirmed that after 65 years, the two countries “continue enjoying the excellent bilateral relations, and cooperate and exchange views in several international forums, including the United Nations.”
Havana established its embassy in Colombo in 1960, while the Sri Lankan authorities did so in 1987.
Among the guests were Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio; the deputy ministers of Foreign Trade and Investment, and Higher Education; Fernando Gonzalez, President of the Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), and other officials and representatives of the diplomatic corps.
The Ambassador highlighted Cuba’s friendship and generosity in Sri Lanka’s most critical moments, such as the 2004 tsunami when that nation sent a team of doctors to work in the most devastated places.
He recalled other moments when Cuban cooperation was present to help the Sri Lankan people, such as the contingent of doctors that Havana sent during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This was another example of Cuba’s commitment to humanity in a time of need and true friendship between the two countries,” said Ulugetenne, who also praised the scholarships that young Sri Lankans receive to train as professionals in Cuba.
Deputy Foreign Minister Fernandez de Cossio, in turn, reaffirmed Cuba’s commitment to continue training human resources for Sri Lanka.
During the ceremony, audio-visual material recounted iconic moments of the relations during the 65 years since the visit of Che Guevara, who planted a mahogany tree as a token of friendship, which currently grows robust and lush at a park in Colombo.
Havana, August 7 (Radio Habana Cuba) — Cuba on Tuesday conveyed warm congratulations to the Government and people of Bolivia who are celebrating the 199th anniversary of their declaration of independence.
Regarding the date, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez expressed the solidarity and support of the Caribbean nation to the authorities of the Andean country. Likewise, the island’s Foreign Ministry ratified the will to continue strengthening the ties of friendship and bilateral cooperation.
Bolivia’s independence was proclaimed on August 6, 1825 at a congress held in the city of Sucre.
Within the framework of the celebrations, an honorary session of the Plurinational Legislative Assembly will take place on Tuesday and the central event will be the speech of the president to the country, Luis Arce.
Hua Xin highlighted the role of the Communist Party at the forefront of the destinies of the two countries. Photo: File/trabajadores.cu
Havana, August 7 (Radio Habana Cuba) — The Chinese ambassador to Cuba, Hua Xin, says that his country and Cuba are betting on scientific and technological innovation, while strengthening their ties in that area.
During the theoretical event held in the Cuban capital on the modernization of the Asian Giant, the diplomat asserted that both nations “can learn from each other and complement their strengths in the field of science and technology.”
He said that he had exchanges with directors of the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, and “deeply admired the achievements here to confront the blockade.”
He recalled that Chinese President Xi Jinping personally presented the People’s Republic of China International Cooperation in Science and Technology Award this year to Cuban neuroscientist Pedro Valdés, who works at the Chinese-Cuban Joint Laboratory for Neurotechnology.
“This recognition has become a good story of Sino-Cuban cooperation in scientific and technological innovation,” Xin said when speaking to experts from the Center for International Policy Research (CIPI) and the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS).
He also recalled that both nations are celebrating this year the 75th anniversary of the founding of New China, the 65th anniversary of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution and the tenth anniversary of President Xi Jinping’s visit to Cuba.
The ambassador also highlighted the construction of socialism in both countries and the role of the Communist Party at the forefront of the destiny of their peoples.
She also said that China and Cuba are committed to building socialism with their own characteristics and making greater contributions to promoting the cause of socialism in the world and the unity and development of the Global South.
During the meeting, held at the Royal Habana Hotel, Hua Xin reaffirmed that her country’s development strategy is based on “science and education; strengthening through talent; improving the new type of national development system and increasing the overall effectiveness of the national innovation system.” (Source: Prensa Latina)
With journalistic contribution of Orlando González Cruz
Paris, August 6 (Radio Habana Cuba) — Greco-Roman wrestling champion Mijaín López has won his fifth Gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics! The best Greco-Roman wrestler in the history of the summer events touched history once again today and was crowned Olympic champion for the fifth time, defeating Yasmani Acosta, also from Cuba, and representing Chile, in the final (6-0).
Born in the municipality of Herradura (coincidence or causality), in the province of Pinar del Río, he became the protector of the island’s athletics teams from Beijing 2008 to the present, climbing to the top of the podium uninterruptedly until Paris 2024.
The six-time winner under the five rings is easy to say, but to give an idea of the magnitude of the feat: he extended Cuba’s consecutive titles in this sport since the Barcelona 1992 event; he became the first athlete in the world to climb to the top of the podium in the same event, in five Olympic games; He broke his own record of golds in that discipline, separating himself by two from another legend, the Russian Alexandr Karelin (three); he became the Cuban with the greatest number of achievements, surpassing the legendary fencer Ramón Fonst (four golds and one silver).
Add to the above the greatest prize, having the love and admiration of an entire people, a medal that is not hung around the neck, but in the soul.
A crown is not exempt from other aspirants to the throne, and for almost two decades, there have been several challengers to the ‘Ebony Giant’ among them, a great like the Turk Riza Kayaalp, one of the few who could beat him in some competition, but who had to bow his head again and again to Mijain in this type of competition.
In the current Parisian contest, another challenger was looming, the young Iranian world champion Amin Mirzazadeh, but the experience of the “old king” prevailed over the talented opponent (3-1) in what seemed like an early final in the second outing on the mat.
Previously, he had defeated South Korean Seungcham Lee (7-0) and in the semi-finals, the bronze medalist in Rio de Janeiro 2016, the Azerbaijani Sabah Shariati (4-0).
You already know the result, the gods of wrestling could not commit such an affront, because Olympus has a monarch, and he is Cuban.
Havana, August 6 ( Radio Habana Cuba / Prensa Latina ) — Four-time Olympic champion Mijaín López thanked Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel today for his conversation after reaching the final of the 130 kilogram Greco-Roman wrestling at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
“Thank you for your call,” López said at the end of the conversation with the president, according to the Cuban sports newspaper Jit on social media X.
“Be sure that tomorrow [Tuesday ] that title will be for Cuba,” Mijaín assured Díaz-Canel.
The Cuban wrestler will fight Tuesday for his fifth crown under the five rings, after beating Azerbaijani Sabah Shariati, world ranking leader in 2024, in the semifinals.
The living legend of Greco-Roman wrestling managed to unbalance Shariati in the first half to go 3-0 ahead, and in the second, with a counterattack, he scored another to win 4-1.
For the title, he will face the Cuban, naturalized Chilean, Yasmani Acosta, who beat the Chinese Lingzhe Meng in the other semifinal. The five-time world champion also declared that he has always fulfilled what he has promised the Cuban people, in reference to the commitment to reach his fifth consecutive Olympic final.
“I know that in Cuba, everyone is in front of the television. There is only one step left to dance a little more,” he commented during an exchange with journalists accredited to the summer event.
“I am happy to be able to fight here for my fifth gold medal and to be able to give the Cuban people joy,” he expressed.
Lopez also said that with the 3-1 victory against the Iranian Amin Mirzazadeh in his second appearance on Monday, he overcame a major obstacle on the road to winning the competition.
Mirzazadeh, the current world champion, was considered the main contender for the gold medal, and for the native of Herradura, in the western province of Pinar del Río, the fight between the two was an early final.
“He is a young man who comes inspired, with the desire to win the title, but between youth and experience, experience always prevails,” stressed the legendary Cuban fighter.
Havana, Aug 6 (Prensa Latina) Cuban and Russian experts are conducting a series of studies on infectious diseases, including Oropouche fever, in this nation.
TASS reported that experts from both countries are analyzing the current behavior of diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites common in the Caribbean region.
High-tech equipment, techniques, and systems designed and developed in the Russian Federation are being used in the research.
The release noted that these studies strengthen humanitarian exchanges between Russia and Cuba, besides global efforts to combat infections with epidemic potential.
The news agency announced that this exchange takes place within the cooperation framework between the two countries, to ensure the population’s sanitary and epidemiological well-being.
The information specifies that the Russian scientists arrived in Havana on Monday and will remain in Cuba until Thursday, August 8.
Havana, August 6 (Radio Habana Cuba) — Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez on Monday thanked 23 international and regional organizations for their statements against the island’s inclusion on the unilateral list of states sponsoring terrorism.
On the social network X, the Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed his gratitude for the complaints made against the measure that negatively impacts the Cuban people.
Recently, the Foreign Ministry reported that more than a hundred countries demanded the exclusion of Cuba from the list of alleged countries sponsoring terrorism, drawn up by the United States government.
Through a declaration, the nations that signed the document, addressed to the Human Rights Council, pointed out that the list “goes against the fundamental principles and imperative norms of International Law, including international solidarity.”
They stressed that the inclusion of the Caribbean nation “causes extraordinary negative consequences for the Cuban economy, due to its intimidating effect and the obstacle to economic and financial operations of third parties with Cuba, for fear of being fined.”
“It hinders the country’s ability to access food, medicine, fuel, medical equipment and other basic goods, which impacts the realization of economic, social and cultural rights,” the statement adds.
It also suggests that, “instead of imposing unilateral coercive measures contrary to International Law,” international solidarity and cooperation should be encouraged to face common challenges, protect human rights for all and achieve sustainable development goals. (Prensa Latina)
Mijaín López’s first victory in Paris 2024 Olympic Games
Havana, Aug 5 (Radio Habana Cuba) – Cuban wrestling star Mijaín López (130 kg) debuted with a 7-0 victory over South Korea’s Seungchan Lee in the round of 16 at the Paris-2024 Olympic Games.
In his next outing, the four-time Olympic and five-time world champion will face the reigning world champion, Iranian Amin Mirzazadeh, in the quarterfinals.
About to turn 42 years old, Mijaín is looking for his fifth Olympic gold in a row in the Parisian capital, an unprecedented feat in Olympic sport.
Mirzazadeh also made his debut with a 3-1 victory over Adam Jacob of the United States.
March in support of President Nicolas Maduro, Tachira, Venezuela, 2024. Photo: X/ @PartidoPSUV
The destruction of the Bolivarian symbols expresses the intention of conservative forces to return Venezuela to the past.
August 5 (teleSUR) In an article published in the Orinoco Tribune, Canadian political scientist Arnold August analyzed the importance of the National Electoral Council (CNE) in the Venezuelan contemporary political history.
This institution is part of a process of institutional construction that began with the 1999 referendum, when the Venezuelans voted in favor of the formation of a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution.
“The overwhelming popular approval was the key step in the evolution of the Bolivarian Revolution. It fulfilled the main promise that Commander Hugo Chavez had made in the 1998 elections,” August recalled, highlighting that the drafting of the new constitution was accompanied by a process of intense discussion in grassroots organizations.
“The people received assistance in procuring, reading, having read by others (illiteracy was still a problem) and making proposals for changes and modifications in the original draft. Containers with thousands of proposals were sifted through, with the result that 70 percent of the original draft was modified.”
But that was not all. The 1999 referendum gave way to the formation of a new state structure in which the National Electoral Council would be considered the fifth power.
Therefore, August notes that the criticisms of the legitimacy of the CNE made by transnational far-right forces actually represent attempts to disqualify the new forms of participatory democracy that the Bolivarian Revolution has institutionalized in Venezuela for 25 years.
???????? Venezuela President Maduro: "The United States has filled the whole world with war and misery in the name of a false freedom… Here, neither the gringos nor US Southern Command will ever govern again. In Venezuela, we Venezuelans are in charge… Oligarchs: Tremble!" pic.twitter.com/CHfHX5fhCO
“It is no coincidence that paid and drugged rioters destroyed several statues of Chavez on July 29. It was clear that they wanted to return Venezuela to the pre-Chavez situation under the pretext of electoral ‘fraud’,” the Canadian political scientist noted.
The allegations of electoral fraud, however, lack any basis. As an international electoral observer, August stressed that the Venezuelan electoral system has been designed to be “fraud-free” because it has various safeguards that guarantee respect for the citizen’s vote. Among them, for example, is the use of fingerprints as a mechanism for verifying the voter’s identity.
Once citizens casts their electronic votes, a paper ballot allows them to verify which election was made. Additionally, the electronic machines are not connected to the CNE during voting hours to avoid any manipulation or hacking of the votes.
“Then, the voter goes to another booth to deposit the ballot in a small ballot box. At the close of voting, each political party has the right to send a witness to observe the counting of the paper votes and the mechanical results to verify that they match,” August said.
Once voting is over, authorities conduct a random recount of 54 percent of the polling stations in order to issue the first rapid results. Subsequently, once the counting of all votes nationwide is over, political parties can file challenges if they have reasons to do so.
In the 2024 elections, the electoral system functioned normally, as hundreds of observers accredited by the CNE were able to confirm. Once over 96 percent of the transmitted votes were counted, the candidate of the Great Patriotic Pole, President Nicolas Maduro, was reelected with 51.95 percent of the votes.
Venezuelan coup-plotter María Corina Machado is a far-right extremist made in Washington. The US has funded her political organizations for years. So of course the US regime is blatantly meddling in Venezuela, helping this puppet that it invested so much in lead a coup attempt.
Although the opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez came in second with 43.18 percent of the votes, the Venezuelan far right did not recognize the final result of the elections, thus ratifying a position that it had held since before voting day.
To thwart the attempts at destabilization, Maduro asked the Electoral Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice to initiate an exhaustive investigation into the 2024 presidential elections and their results.
The Bolivarian leader also ratified that his political organization will present to the Supreme Court 100 percent of the electoral records it held and called on all political organizations to do the same. This, however, did not happen as the Venezuelan far right did not present its alleged evidence to the judges.
August notes that Venezuelan conservative forces and their foreign allies did not want to use the existing institutional procedures to process their demands. Instead, far-right organizations, supported by the mainstream international media, reinforced narratives aimed at generating supposed certainties about the victory of candidate Gonzalez, rushing to proclaim him as Venezuela’s president-elect.
“By the end of day on August 1, the U.S. official stance, as articulated by the U.S. Department of State – citing “fraud” – was unambiguous: ‘We congratulate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia on his successful campaign. Now is the time for the Venezuelan parties to begin discussions on a respectful, peaceful transition’,” the Canadian political scientist recalled.
This political ploy, however, was to be expected given that for months the Venezuelan far right and its allies had been creating the conditions to justify their electoral failure on the basis of an alleged fraud, thus seeking to open the way for the return of plans for political destabilization through the use of force.
“Their objective has been to effect regime change with the intention of destroying the Bolivarian Revolution and returning Venezuela to the status of a U.S. colony,” August concluded.
On the afternoon of Saturday, August 3rd, legitimate reelected President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, received thousands of Venezuelan men and women, at the Miraflores Palace, who mobilized in defense of peace and his electoral victory on July 28.#NicolasMaduro#Venezuelapic.twitter.com/05gnrbZHOo
