Díaz-Canel congratulates ICAIC on its 65th anniversary

Havana, Mar 24 (Prensa Latina) President Miguel Díaz-Canel congratulated the creators, technicians, and workers of the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC) on the 65th anniversary of that institution on Sunday.

On his X profile, Díaz-Canel emphasized that the ICAIC is the first cultural institution of the Cuban Revolution, “which has been and continues to be the promoter and guardian of the best of Latin American and world cinema.”

As part of the celebrations, the ICAIC is holding the Fest of Cuban Cinema campaign, which consists of the premieres of 67 national productions, including films, documentaries, and animation, and the screening of 40 other films, 22 of which have been restored.

As part of the celebrations, on March 21, several awards were granted to the institution’s founders and prominent figures linked to the national film.

The Lázaro Peña Order in its Third Degree, granted by the Council of State, was awarded to actress Eslinda Núñez, National Film Award winner, while the Jesús Menéndez Medal was given to Dolores Calviño, Isabel Santos, Lisette Vila, and Víctor Domínguez for their outstanding work.

The founding of ICAIC concreted the desire to create a national film industry and prepared and consolidated the work of professionals in the sector, including Julio García Espinosa, Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Santiago Alvarez, among other prominent filmmakers.

The ICAIC catalog contains some of the most successful films in the history of Cuban cinema, some of which have been included in international lists of the 20th century’s best films.

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Díaz-Canel assesses local development in western province

Matanzas, Cuba, Mar 26 (Prensa Latina) Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel is touring Jovellanos municipality, in western Matanzas province, to keep direct contact with the people and meet with producers, workers, and peasants.

The president wrote in his X account that this week started with the regular and indispensable visits to municipalities, and recalled that on Monday, he toured Minas de Matahambre (Pinar del Río) and Bauta (Artemisa), both in western Cuba.

During today’s tour of Jovellanos, the head of State, accompanied by the organizational secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, Roberto Morales, arrived at local business that belongs to the Vladimir Ilich Lenin Agricultural Company, where he was informed that the company had reported losses last year due to low production, so Díaz-Canel urged to work on recovery and improve work, because it is one of the largest companies in the country.

So far in 2024, they have recovered 34 irrigation machines, which went to state use, since they were previously in the hands of usufructuaries.

The Jovellanense Agricultural Company pays taxes to the municipality and the province, and produces vegetables and grains mainly. It has 12,000 hectares of land, 4,500 are in production and some 1,000 of them are protected under irrigation.

Jovellanos is the third municipality in Matanzas that the president visits as part of the assessment of priorities in the economic and social order for this year, the territories visited previously were Colón and Cárdenas.

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Electric workers from central Cuba to support Havana’s recovery

Ciego de Avila, Cuba, Mar 24 (Prensa Latina) A brigade from the Electric Company in this central province on Sunday supported the recovery efforts in Havana municipalities, which were affected by severe local storms that caused flooding and damage to the service.

The technical director of that company in Ciego de Avila, Kaled Cruz, pointed out that the group is made up of 34 workers, including linemen, technicians and reinforcement personnel, all of which with a vast working experience to do their job after the passage of hydro-meteorological events.

He pointed out that they are working to replace fallen poles, repair of lines, broken conduits and other breakdowns in secondary circuits, to restore service as soon as possible.

Due to the strong winds and persistent rainfall that occurred in western Cuba in recent days, total and partial collapses of homes, fallen poles, destroyed farm houses, flooded fields and swollen rivers have been reported in several Havana municipalities.

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US raises millions-worth funds for plans against Cuba

Havana, Mar 24 (Prensa Latina) United States authorities approved an additional sum of more than 50 million dollars for subversive actions against Cuba, with emphasis on media manipulation campaigns, Cubadebate’s website reported on Sunday.

Cubadebate Director Randy Alonso on Sunday commented on some of Washington’s latest policy against Cuba in an article entitled “Blockade and Subversion against Cuba: Fines to Banks and More Than 50 Million for Interventionist Programs.”

On Friday, March 22, the anti-Cuba mafia in the House of Representatives succeeded to introduce the new funds in a Resolution that authorizes 1.2 billion dollars in fund to sustain the operations of some areas of the US Government, the director of IDEAS Multimedios explained.

According to a press release from the office of anti-Cuba Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart, the regulations contemplate 25 million dollars for programs to “promote democracy in Cuba.” The sum means an increase of 25 percent compared to 2023, Alonso explained.

These programs are fundamentally intended to develop subversive actions against Cuba and “manipulative campaigns” within the United States and the rest of the world, the analyst noted.

Through the State Department, the NED and the USAID, they generously finance the anti-Cuba lobby organizations in Florida and other parts and pay their allowance to the mercenaries they have in Cuba, the expert added.

A part of this fund is used to maintain the anti-Cuba media machinery and the social media agitators who have been fostered in the last 10 years “with the express objective of impacting, generating manipulated narratives and confusing Cuban public opinion,” the journalist added.

With a similar purpose, the legislative proposal signed by the US Chamber allocates 25 million for the 2024 work of the Cuba Broadcasting Office, in charge of Radio and TV Martí, which represents a notable increase compared to 13 million dollars in the last fiscal year, he pointed.

Besides, an “unspecified” additional amount is reserved for the Open Technology Fund to promote technologies that promote “freedom on the Internet” in Cuba, the specialist warned.

In that regard, the regulations establish that 90 days after the final approval of the law, the Secretary of State and the executive director of the United States Agency for Global Media must present the funds and plans to the Appropriations Committees to implement the provisions with respect to Internet technology development programs.

A recent article published by the Razones de Cuba’s website drew attention to the growing fiscal deficit of the United States, while the White House continues to spend extraordinary sums of money for interventionist purposes.

“Those billions of dollars that they waste are part of the large and increased fiscal deficit that US citizens pay,” Razones de Cuba claimed with concrete data.

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Cuba invites to major trade fair

Havana, Mar 24 (Prensa Latina) The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment (MINCEX) has invited foreign companies and groups to participate in the upcoming ExpoCaribe 2024 International Fair.

That event will be held in eastern Cuba from June 26 to 29, MINCEX Deputy Minister Oscar Pérez-Oliva said.

The government expects to ensure a forum par excellence for the entire Caribbean, said Pérez-Oliva when presenting the initiative to representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Cuba and other relevant stockholders.

The fair aims to promote and foster trade and investments, as well as the generation of new business among the nations of the Greater Caribbean, noted the official, who recalled the contribution of previous editions of the trade event.

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Stars from National Ballet of Cuba shine in Italy

Rome, Mar 24 (Prensa Latina) The Modern Theater of the Italian city of Grosetto is honored by the performance of the director of the National Ballet of Cuba (BNC), Viengsay Valdés, and the main dancer of that company, Anyelo Montero, local media reported on Sunday.

Grosetto Mayor Antonfrancesco Vivarelli pointed out in statements published on the website of La Nazione that this city in the central region of Tuscany will host “with great enthusiasm” the Grand Gala of the Stars, with figures from the BNC, in “a unique show” on Sunday.

“It will be an event of great cultural value,” said promoter Débora Ferretti, who pointed out that these presentations “will give prestige to the city,” because “never before in the history of dance in Grosseto had an spectacle of such high artistic depth had been created.”

This Grand Gala of the Ballet Stars is sponsored by the government of the region of Tuscany, as well as by the municipal authorities of the cities of Grosseto and Follonica, and by the municipality of Castiglione della Pescaia.

Viengsay Valdés and Anyelo Montero will perform selections from Carmen, by Alberto Alonso, as well as a pas de deux from Love Fear Loss, choreographed by Brazilian Ricardo Amarante, a ballet inspired by the life of French singer Edith Pieaff, in whose performance they will be accompanied on stage by renowned Cuban pianist Marcos Madrigal.

In addition to the Cuban dancers’ performance as main figures, the gala will include the participation of other top exponents of that world ballet, like Fumi Kaneko and Vadim Muntagirov, from the Royal Ballet of London, and Elisa Carrillo and Mikhail Kaniski, from the Staats Ballet Opera Berlin.

“It is the first time I will dance in Grosseto. It is a big responsibility and an opportunity to interact with other dancers from around the world,” noted BNC Director Viengsay Valdés, who will also give a workshop on the Cuban method to a select group of students from European ballet schools.

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Informatics 2024 Convention shows Cuba’s breakthrough in ICTs

Havana, Mar 23 (Prensa Latina) A variety of issues concerning ICTs marked the work of experts at the 19th International Convention and Fair Informatics 2024, which served as a stage to expose Cuba’s present and future in the sector.

The forum, held since Monday, March 18 at the Havana International Conference Center (HICC) and the Pabexpo fairgrounds, was attended by over 1,000 delegates and exhibitors from 22 countries, who spoke and exchanged on Artificial Intelligence, cyber security, fifth-generation network (5G) and digital transformation.

Exhibiting services related to Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) has been the convention’s core; indeed, the exhibition fair had 49 stands, including 37 nationals, some 15 small and medium-sized companies and a dozen foreign companies from Canada, China, Germany, Iran, Italy, Mexico, Panama, Russia, Spain, Suriname and Venezuela.

After six years, the exhibition space returned to the on-site modality and was attended on its first day by President Miguel Diaz Canel, who toured the facility and saw first-hand the proposals of state institutions, universities, science and research, technology and innovation centers and private entities, which were also sponsors of the event.

In that regard, Cuba’s Minister of Communications Mayra Arevich told exclusively to Prensa Latina that Cuba is committed to the breakthrough of software and the transformation of society towards greater digitization with the participation of all the economy actors.

“The software domestic industry has to be enhanced by participating with each economic actor, so that it will allow greater participation in the advancement of ICTs, the talent of young computer scientists trained by the Revolution,” she noted.

The exhibition encounter’s Executive Secretary Ariadne Plascencia told Prensa Latina that the next exhibition will take place in 2026, with a different context related to ICTs, since Cuba’s Digital Agenda must be approved next April.

“That agenda will contain the projects to bolster software and technologies in Cuba towards which all domestic efforts of the sector must be directed.”

The 20th International Convention and Fair, Informatics 2026, will be held from March 23 to 27, 2026, at the Havana International Conference Center (HICC) and Pabexpo.

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France backs Cuba by condemning US blockade

Bordeaux, France, Mar 23 (Prensa Latina) The leadership and the local committees of the France-Cuba association underscored on Saturday in their annual assembly their support to Cuba and its people in view of the US hostility and its blockade policy.

In the southern city of Bordeaux, a region famous for its wines, the organization with over six decades of solidarity work towards Cuba discussed its actions in 2023, Cuban reality and the economic, commercial and financial US blockade’s aftermaths on its society.

Delegates from regions, departments and cities such as Ardeche, Cote d’Or, Gironde, Hauts-de-Seine, Herault, Lille, Loiret, Marseille Provence, Midi Pyrenees, Paris, Val d’Oise and Vaucluse are participating in the meeting scheduled until tomorrow.

In the first day interventions, the Association’s Chair Fabrice Leclerc summarized the work of France-Cuba and the presence in events by 2023, among them the Tribunal against the US Blockade, held in Brussels, and shared the relevance of those that will take place by 2024, such as the 19th Continental Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba, in November in Paris, and the traditional Fête de l’Humanité.

Meanwhile, representatives of the committees referred to the need for joint work by associations, trade unions and political parties that support Cuba, the experiences of the initiative to send suitcases with medicines and the search for support from European lawmakers and local authorities for the cause of solidarity.

Likewise, they valued the communicational field, considering that many people in France and Europe think that the US blockade against Cuba ended with the administration of Barack Obama, who left the White House in 2017.

The 243 measures to tighten the blockade, adopted by his successor in the U.S. Presidency Donald Trump, the re-inclusion of Cuba in Washington’s unilateral States Sponsoring Terrorism list and the extraterritoriality of the blockade, were issues denounced in the interventions.

Leclerc read at the beginning of the annual assembly a message of recognition to France-Cuba transmitted by the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), which greeted the forum and wished it success. Solidarity makes human beings great and that feeling has greatly helped Cuba to emerge victorious in the rough road it has had to live for the simple fact of defending our independence and sovereignty, the ICAP’s stated to the organization of over 900 members.

Today’s debates did not overlook the international reality, with words of regret for the terrorist attack that left over 60 deaths in Moscow on Friday and condemnation of Israel’s indiscriminate aggression against the Palestinian Gaza Strip.

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Cuban Communist Party condemns terrorist attack on Moscow

Havana, Mar 23 (Prensa Latina) Cuba’s Communist Party (PCC) expressed on Saturday its steadfast condemnation of the terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall concert hall in Moscow, which left at least 115 deaths.

The party posted on X heartfelt condolences to the Russian people, especially to the victims’ families and relatives.

On X, Cuban authorities have expressed their solidarity with Russia and strongly condemned the attack, described by President Miguel Diaz Canel as “an atrocious terrorist act.”

On Friday, criminals wearing camouflage clothing and armed with rifles opened fire inside the crowded concert hall. Attackers further set fire to the seats of the cultural facility, which fanned the fire and made the roof of the hall collapse.

According to Russia’s Investigative Committee, over 115 perished in the incident, while several people involved were captured, including four terrorists participating in the attack.

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Cuba participates in development and health forum in Europe

Brussels, Mar 21 (Prensa Latina) Representatives of Cuba are participating in Brussels, in the “Inclusive Human Development and Equitable Access to Health Products” forum of the European Union, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

The director of Science and Technological Innovation of the Ministry of Public Health of Cuba, Ileana Morales, and the scientist Agustín Lage will participate in the conference, following the roadmap agreed on last year by the EU and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) at its 3rd Summit.

Morales will speak this Thursday at the round table aimed at addressing triangular cooperation for access to health and well-being.

Lage, former director of the Center for Molecular Immunology in Havana and current advisor to the Presidency of BioCubaFarma, will be part of the panel that will discuss on Friday the challenges, opportunities, and good practices in Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean in innovation and affordability of health products.

The delegates are expected to share the experiences accumulated by Cuba during decades of medical collaboration and promotion of biotechnological development, despite the difficult circumstances imposed by the United States blockade.

At the Third Summit, held in Brussels last July, the EU and CELAC agreed to strengthen bi-regional cooperation in the field of health, based on the vision of its relevance in human development.

The forum will include in its discussions the promotion of equitable and sustainable societies, the facilitation of access to health products, cooperation, regulatory frameworks, technological innovation, and public and private investments to strengthen pharmaceutical capacities.

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