To protest against new measures by President Donald Trump, a group of supporters of Cuba and other social justice causes gathered in front of the office of Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar in Miami, Florida.
Right at the intersection of 57th Avenue and 8th Street, several activists demanded an end to the social security cuts that the White House president wants to impose to benefit his country’s business oligarchy.
Activist Jesús Pérez Rodríguez told Radio Havana Cuba that the protesters demanded an end to the deportations of undocumented migrants and the continuation of health insurance programs such as Medicare and Obamacare, which benefit the elderly and vulnerable.
The banners held and slogans chanted demanded the lifting of the genocidal economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba more than 60 years ago, which was intensified by the Caribbean island’s inclusion on the spurious list of state sponsors of terrorism.
The demonstration took place at noon this Thursday and was organized by several organizations, including the Alianza Martiana, the José Martí Cultural Association, Paz y Amor, and Miami Today radio.
Similarly, Spanish-born solidarity activist Arianna accused María Elvira Salazar of not wanting to meet with her constituents and of having to explain how the county budget is being executed. “We don’t know what programs they’re going to cut, but we do know that many are going to disappear,” activist Jesús Pérez Rodriguez told the activist in a video posted on social media.
She called on the Cuban community living in the United States to join the demonstrations so that the struggle will serve to prevent the loss of more social programs that could widen the gap between a minority of the wealthy and the majority of the poor.
Students visited many cultural sites in Cuba, including the Patio del Pelegrín artist colony.
By Kat Oak On April 23, 2025 University of Michigan – f
“The Cuban people are some of the nicest you’ll ever meet; they’re so brave and resilient, and our host families were incredibly kind and generous. Connecting with them was my favorite part of the experience,” said Drew Conner, a junior computer science major from Flint who visited Cuba this March as part of the 2025 Wyatt Exploration Program.
“It surprised me because it’s so different from here, where I feel like we try to avoid each other when walking down the street,” Conner said. “Everyone greets each other there, even in a big city like Havana. One of our faculty guides, Stephanie Vidaillet Gelderloos, would say that they’ve adopted the socialist ideal, that everyone is somebody’s brother or sister, and you could feel that familial vibe everywhere we went.”
Another cultural activity was a group salsa lesson with local instructors and dancers.
Conner was one of 14 students who took part in the fully funded Wyatt Exploration Program trip to Cuba. Sponsored by the University of Michigan-Flint history program and supported by the Dorthea E. Wyatt Endowment, programming for every trip begins each year during the fall semester with a series of on-campus events that explore the culture and history of the selected destination. For the journey to Cuba, the history program presented a documentary series about Cuban culture, collaborated with the student organization Latinos United for Advancement to host salsa dance lessons and a social event, and featured an expert lecture on historical Cuban artifacts. UM-Flint students who attended the events were eligible to apply for the study abroad opportunity.
Vidaillet Gelderloos and students in Havana, Cuba
While Cuba was selected by professor of history Thomas Henthorn, Vidaillet Gelderloos, lecturer IV in the English program and advisor for LUNA, was also instrumental in the trip’s planning process and one of three UM-Flint faculty members on the trip. “This was the first time that the Wyatt program was open to all students, regardless of their major, so I wanted to make sure that the trip was culturally relevant, that students had an opportunity to speak Spanish and connect with local families,” said Vidaillet Gelderloos. “We selected a variety of cultural activities in and around Havana and the rural town of Viñales, specifically to offer a well-rounded perspective of Cuban life. The students were all in, even when they encountered difficulties related to access to modern conveniences or limited food options. They fully embraced Cuba and its people.”
Students painted seed pods at the Patio del Pelegrín.
For Patience Jones of Flint, a junior majoring in fine arts, visiting the artist colony Patio del Pelegrín on the way to Viñales was a fascinating experience.
“What stood out to me is how they reuse everything there; there was no texture to their paintings, they spread the paint so thinly because they have to be economical with their supplies,” said Jones. “It’s a mentality that I plan to apply to my own work, to be less wasteful and more economical, not to overuse things.”
In Viñales, the group visited tobacco and sugar plantations, where they learned about the local agriculture, and then embarked on an hour-long horseback ride through the Viñales Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site. “The landscape was so diverse, from mountains to caves to palm trees, it was a different kind of atmosphere compared to Havana; it just felt more free,” said Paulina Rivera, a junior from Ortonville studying human biology with a concentration in pre-med.
The group rode on horseback through the Viñales Valley.
Back in Havana, the group visited cultural sites such as the Fidel Castro Center, the Fine Arts Museum, Revolution Square and the José Martí Memorial, and Casa de Africa. They also attended a lecture at the University of Havana, where they gained a deeper understanding of Cuban history. Visiting the Memorial de la Denuncia was particularly eye-opening for many students.
Students toured several museums, including the Museum of Fine Arts and the Memorial de la Denuncia.
“I knew some of the history, but I learned more about the cycles of violence between the U.S. and Cuba after the revolution, including some horrible things that the U.S. did to destabilize the country and inspire a regime change,” said Evan Karr, a senior economics major from Davison. “It’s told from their point of view, of course, so you know that there’s some propaganda there, but the fact that we don’t learn about those things is also another form of propaganda. It’s a lot more peaceful there now. Instead of engaging in violent tactics, the U.S. is trying to use economic tools to inspire them to change, and our guide was very outspoken about how many Cubans want more capitalism, so maybe change will come.”
Ethan Sage, a sophomore from Howell majoring in political science and history, echoed Karr’s perspective.
“It has inspired me to think very critically about the information I receive, and I’ve already seen changes in how I react to and engage with information. When I started at UM-Flint, I was much more reactionary, and I struggled with sharing my point of view when I disagreed with people,” Sage said. “Visiting the Memorial de la Denuncia showed me how there are multiple perspectives to every story. Now I am much more skilled at absorbing different ideas, documenting them in my mind and using that to make more sound arguments in debates on ideology, law, or politics. I wouldn’t have guessed that would be one of my main takeaways from this experience, but it has made a major impact on me.”
Students attended a lecture at the University of Havana, learning about Cuba’s history from settlement to the present.
Other cultural experiences that impacted the group included their visit to Old Havana. “There are so many remnants of the past (there), older architecture and buildings that meant something to their culture. It was the site of the original settlement in Cuba,” said Maggie Orwig, a senior from Lapeer in the social studies teacher certificate program. “Our guide shared a lot about how life has changed through the years, but also how they’re kind of ‘stuck,’ because of their political and economic issues. All the cars from the 1950s are a symbol of their lack of progress, of how they’re frozen in time, in a way. Having the opportunity to be in the place where the history we were learning about actually occurred has inspired me to bring that experience into my work as an educator. I think it’s essential to express different perspectives and to encourage curiosity about what we learn, who is telling the story, and to interrogate its source. My goal is to continue to travel, expand my knowledge and share that with my community here in Michigan.”
The group went on walking tours of Old Havana and various cemeteries.
Connecting with Cuba’s people, learning about its history, and experiencing its culture had a profound impact on all the students. However, one of the most significant aspects of the experience was the lifelong friendships they formed among themselves.
“The other students were truly amazing. We have such different personalities and are all studying different things, so we had different perspectives and interests to share,” said Rivera. “For anyone who hasn’t gone on a Wyatt trip — or any study abroad experience — do it if you can! You’ll make friends and connections with people who share the mindset and curiosity to learn. I loved the trip overall, but who I got to experience it with was special.”
Students, faculty and guides at dinner in Havana.
“I am a transfer student, and when I told people that I was going on this trip, they were shocked that a program like this exists at UM-Flint. I know that I wouldn’t have ever had this opportunity at the school I was at before or a bigger university,” said Elizabeth Huggler, a sophomore fine arts major from Otisville. “This is just an example of what you get to experience at UM-Flint — the professors are great, you get one-on-one attention and programs like Wyatt offer a unique way to expand your knowledge and experience. I tell everyone that if you’re considering UM-Flint, do it. You’re not going to have a better experience anywhere else.”
Learn more about studying history and future Wyatt program offerings on the UM-Flint history program webpage.
By Daniel Montero, Justin Jimenez and Reed Lindsay – Belly of the Beast
August 14, 2024
If any single event encapsulated the historic opening between Cuba and the United States, it was the March 2016 exhibition baseball game between the Tampa Bay Rays and Cuba’s national team at Havana’s Latin American Stadium.
The 70-year-old stadium, known as “El Latino” in Cuba, was jam-packed hours before the game even started.
“As great as our fans are in the U.S., they don’t come six hours before the game,” Major League Baseball (MLB) commissioner Rob Manfred told Belly of the Beast journalist Reed Lindsay from the field before the first pitch.
The final score (Tampa Bay won 4-1) did nothing to dampen the fans’ – and the players’ – excitement.
“Beyond baseball, this is about people from both countries growing closer with these new relations,” said Yosvani Torres, the starting pitcher for Cuba’s national team. “I hope a lot of good things come from this.”
The game marked the crowning moment of Barack Obama’s historic visit to Cuba. There are no luxury suites at El Latino, and Obama watched the game in the stands behind home plate alongside then Cuban President Raúl Castro.
But the biggest applause was reserved for a relatively obscure AAA player on the Tampa Bay Rays.
Dayron Varona, a Cuban-born outfielder who used to play for the Camaguey Bulls of Cuba’s national league, led off the game for the Rays. Varona had left Cuba via speedboat in 2013 in an attempt to establish residency in another country, a requirement before a Cuban player can sign with an MLB team due to U.S. sanctions. He later spent five months in Haiti before being kidnapped on his way to the Dominican Republic.
Varona became the first player who had abandoned his team in Cuba to come back to the island to play.
“There’s no greater feeling than that,” said Varona. “I could feel it rush through my body, from my toes to the ends of my hair.”
“The doors are opening”
The Tampa Bay game was purely symbolic but it heralded tangible progress in the relations between the two countries’ governments and their biggest baseball leagues.
With Obama loosening U.S. sanctions, an agreement between MLB and the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) seemed inevitable.
“The doors are opening,” Adolis García, who started that day in right field for the Cuban team and last year set playoff records with the Texas Rangers, told Lindsay before the game. “Cuba’s national sport is baseball and through it a lot of connections can be made.”
Three months earlier, an MLB goodwill delegation had visited the island, composed of current and future Hall of Famers Dave Winfield, Joe Torre, Clayton Kershaw and Miguel Cabrera as well as Cuban ballplayers Yasiel Puig, José Abreu, Brayan Peña and Alexei Ramírez.
“It’s been almost 17 years without seeing [my family], and for me to come back here and hug them and shake their hand, and baseball is what made everything possible,” Peña said in Havana at the time.
It took more than two years, but MLB and the FCB finally signed a deal in December of 2018, modeled off MLB’s agreements with other prominent leagues such as the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). In addition, the deal with Cuba would have eliminated the requirement that Cuban baseball players establish residency in another country in order to sign an MLB contract.
“Knowing that the next generation of Cuban baseball players will not endure the unimaginable fate of past Cuban players is the realization of an impossible dream for all of us,” said Abreu, a Cuban-born all-star first baseman playing with the White Sox at the time. “Dealing with the exploitation of smugglers and unscrupulous agencies will finally come to an end for the Cuban baseball player.”
Four months later, what came to an end was not the trafficking of Cuban ballplayers, but the MLB-FCB agreement.
Trump puts an end to ending human trafficking
In April 2019, Donald Trump squashed the MLB’s deal with the FCB.
The Trump administration labeled the MLB deal, which was designed to end the human trafficking of baseball players from Cuba, “a form of human trafficking” because the FCB would have received payments when its players signed with MLB teams.
This type of arrangement was not new for MLB.
When an MLB team signs a player from the NPB, it is required to pay a sizable percentage of their contract as part of a “release fee” or “posting fee” to gain the rights to the player.
For example, the contract for Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who signed with the Dodgers for 12 years and $325 million last December, included a $50.6 million posting fee sent to his former team, the NPB’s Orix Buffaloes.
The fees paid to NPB teams before the posting system was standardized in 2018 were even greater. In 2006, the Boston Red Sox paid the NPB’s Seibu Lions $51.1 million for the rights to negotiate exclusively with Japanese ace Daisuke Matsuzaka.
Similarly, the FCB would have received payments when its players signed with MLB teams, which would have presumably been used to help sustain Cuba’s financially-strapped league and baseball development system.
According to one estimate, if such an agreement had been in place from 2000 until 2016, the Cuban Baseball Federation would have received $181 million via posting fees for 49 Cuban players who ultimately signed with MLB clubs during that period.
Needless to say, Cuba’s baseball players did not see the MLB deal as “a form of human trafficking.”
“Every ballplayer here felt bad when they heard the news that Trump closed the doors to play in the MLB,” Cuban ballplayer Xiam Vega told Belly of the Beast journalist Liz Oliva Fernández in the first episode of the documentary series The War on Cuba. “[Right now] I’d have to renounce my country and I wouldn’t want to do that. I’d want to play [in the U.S.] and return to my country to be with my family and not far from them.”
Cuban baseball in crisis
With the MLB deal scuttled, Cuba’s best ballplayers have continued to risk their lives trying to make it to the big leagues.
Some make the often dangerous journey to other Latin American countries and then sign with MLB teams once they receive legal residency, such as Yordan Álvarez (Haiti), Randy Arozarena (Mexico) and Adolis García (Dominican Republic). Others abandon their teams while competing in international tournaments.
Hundreds of Cuban baseball players have left in recent years.
And they are doing so at younger and younger ages. Two of the players who represented Cuba in the Little League World Series last year – the first time a Cuban team played in the tournament – have since migrated to the Dominican Republic with their families in the hopes of eventually signing a contract with an MLB team when they turn 16.
Meanwhile, baseball in Cuba is facing an unprecedented crisis. With its best players gone, attendance at national league games is lower than ever as is investment in youth baseball. These days, it’s more common to see Cuban kids playing soccer – which is cheaper and more accessible – than baseball.
“U.S. sanctions make it hard”
There is no sign MLB has taken any actions to revive the deal, even since Trump left office. With the Biden administration embracing Trump’s Cold War-era policy, big business interests like MLB have steered clear of Cuba.
“A lot of people who were very involved in Cuba all of a sudden disappeared because it was politically risky,” Cuban-American businessman Carlos Gutierrez, a former commerce secretary under George W. Bush who had encouraged corporations to invest in Cuba during the Obama opening, told Oliva Fernández in the documentary Uphill on the Hill. “We used to call meetings with business people and get 40 CEOs. Today it’s very hard to get two or three.”
Rob Manfred may be afraid of engaging with Cuba, but Dayron Varona hasn’t stopped trying to build bridges between the two countries.
Last month, Varona, who now coaches Little League baseball through his Miami-based Varona Bulls Academy, took two of his teams to play in Havana.
Most of the kids’ families are Cuban American.
“We decided to do this trip no matter what anyone could think,” said Teresa Hernández, the grandmother of one of the Bulls players.
“Being here with my family and having my Cuban family see my son play was a great idea,” said Ayleen Monteagudo, the mother of another Bulls player. “I think most people want to do this again.”
For Varona, it was special to be back too.
“Amazing, it reminded me of when I played as a kid,” he said.
Still, Varona laments what could have been had the dream of normalized relations, which appeared so close when he led off for Tampa Bay at El Latino in March 2016, not been snuffed out.
“The [U.S.] blockade makes things hard,” said Varona. “I want Cuban players to be able to play wherever they want without having to make decisions like riding a speedboat, risking their lives, that they can play in the U.S. without leaving Cuba.”
Updated on: April 22, 2025 / 7:00 PM EDT / CBS Miami
Twenty-five years after federal agents stormed a Miami home to seize 5-year-old Elian Gonzalez and return him to Cuba, the now 30-year-old industrial engineer and Cuban National Assembly member reflects on his simple life in Cardenas, his mother’s sacrifice and his desire to unite Cubans across the Florida Straits.
A life shaped by tragedy and resilience
The fight over custody of Elian Gonzalez ended on April 22, 2000, when heavily armed federal agents raided the Little Havana home of his Miami family. Elian was seized at gunpoint and returned to his father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, who was soon back in Cuba with his 5-year-old son.
Today, Elian still lives in the house where he grew up.
“I grew up with my family. I grew up with those I had to be with and that makes me very happy,” Elian said during a 2023 interview with Liz Oliva Fernandez, an independent Cuban journalist for the U.S.-based media outlet Belly of the Beast.
Elian said during the interview that his life is simple, he is married and has a 4-year-old daughter. Her name is Eliz in honor of his mother Elizabeth, who died at sea during the ill-fated attempt to escape from Cuba.
“My mother was an excellent mother,” Elian said. “She lost her life trying to save me. And looking for a better place to live. She was also a victim of that policy of sanctions against Cuba that makes Cubans want to emigrate.”
From international crisis to national service
Elian was elected to a seat in the Cuban National Assembly. He represents the city of Cardenas. He says he has never regretted returning to Cuba and that he’s led a normal life despite the popularity he gained during the international custody fight that saw protests on the streets of Miami and Cuba.
“Oh, I’ll never forget that day,” said former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz. He was an attorney for Elian’s Miami relatives. Diaz fought court battles to keep the boy in the U.S., facing off against then-Attorney General Janet Reno, whose hometown was Miami. Reno knew the passion Elian’s story ignited in Miami.
“The whole thing became very political.” Diaz said. “It took on a life of its own with the family pitted against each other in a very adversarial way that didn’t have to be.”
Liz Oliva Fernandez, the Cuban journalist who interviewed Elian in 2023, said Elian wants to reunite Cubans on both sides of the Florida Straits. You can see the entire interview here at www.bellyofthebeastcuba.com
“I really believe he wants to build bridges between Cuba and the United States,” Oliva Fernandez said. “I believe he wants to find a balance between the two sides.”
Elian added that he wants to make sure no other mother risks her life or the life of a child trying to escape conditions in Cuba like his mother did 25 years ago.
Washington, April 22 (Prensa Latina) Prestigious Cuban pianist and composer Chucho Valdés will receive the Jazz Master Award, the highest distinction currently awarded to a jazz musician in the United States, and which in its 2025 edition will be awarded for the first time to a foreigner and Latino.
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) will present the 2025 Jazz Master Awards during an annual concert on Saturday, April 26, at the Kennedy Center in Washington.
Along with Valdés, Americans Marshall Allen (saxophonist), Marilyn Crispell (pianist) and Gary Giddins (critic) will be recognized for their outstanding contributions to the genre.
Considered the most influential figure in modern Afro-Cuban jazz, the US-based musician from the island was awarded the 2025 Leonard Bernstein Lifetime Achievement Award last week, presented by the Longy School of Music in Cambridge.
Valdés received the award from the center’s president, Karen Zorn, and Jamie Bernstein, daughter of the prominent American composer and conductor (1918-1990) after whom the prize is named.
In justifying its decision, the academic institution emphasized that Valdés, 83, “embodies many of the key values cultivated at Longy, including the freedom to explore, creative thinking and innovation, and the joy of making and sharing music with others.”
He also praised Valdés’s six-decade career, “both as a soloist and as a conductor, in which he has distilled elements of Afro-Cuban musical tradition, jazz, classical music, rock, and more into a deeply personal style.”
Born into a family of musicians on October 9, 1941, his training began in childhood under the guidance of his father, the great Bebo Valdés, pianist, composer, and conductor, and his mother, Pilar Rodríguez, a singer and piano teacher.
During his long and successful career, the founder of the iconic group Irakere has, among others, the National Music Award in Cuba (2020), has won 13 Grammys (seven of them Latin Grammys) and in 2018 was inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Havana, April 21 (Prensa Latina) Army General Raúl Castro expressed his deep gratitude and affection for Pope Francis, who died today, calling him a dear friend and a man of integrity and consistency.
In his message, broadcast on national television, the leader of the Cuban Revolution stated that the death of the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church deeply moves him.
I have fond memories of the meetings we held and greatly appreciate his affection for the Cuban people and his personal contribution to fostering fraternal dialogue and understanding in relations between Cuba and the Holy See, which have strengthened during his pontificate, he noted.
He also emphasized that Francis’s life and papacy were examples of tireless struggle in defense of peace and brotherhood among peoples.
His constant concern for the pressing challenges facing humanity and his dedication and commitment to finding a viable yet sustainable solution to these problems will serve as an example to all.
Just as he told me on one occasion, I will also carry him forever in my heart, he expressed.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel declared this day a day of official mourning for the death of Pope Francis.
The measure will be in effect from 6:00 a.m. local time on April 22nd until midnight on April 24th.
Havana, April 21 (Prensa Latina) President Miguel Díaz-Canel led the opening ceremony of the 5th International Convention Cuba Health 2025 here today, which will host 5,000 delegates from some 88 countries and focus on universal health coverage.
Photos: Vladimir Molina
At the opening, the organizers noted that the event is dedicated to Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, the chief strategist of the Cuban healthcare system.
The multidisciplinary event, attended by some twenty health ministers, featured an opening lecture by the head of the department in the Caribbean nation, José Ángel Portal: “Cuba and the One Health Paradigm: Science and Human Commitment to Face Global Challenges.”
Cuba Salud 2025, which hosts the 2nd Medical Tourism and Wellness Fair, held at the Havana Convention Center and the Pabexpo exhibition center, has the theme “Universal Health Strategies, based on the One Health approach, for sustainable development.”
The event, which hosts some 400 scientific activities and more than 200 keynote addresses, panels, symposia, and meetings, will provide a space for reflection on current and future challenges facing national and international health.
The first Cuba-China Science and Innovation Symposium will also take place, where topics related to biotechnology will be addressed and will include interventions by several rectors of medical universities in the Asian country.
Prior to the event, Díaz-Canel and the president of the Cuban National Assembly, Esteban Lazo, inaugurated the exhibition on the National Health System, which showcases the main indicators and achievements of recent years in 14 stands, a period marked by significant challenges for healthcare workers in the country.
As part of the planned activities, the first National One Health Congress will be held. It will address the Caribbean nation’s comprehensive health strategy, integrating the knowledge and active participation of all sectors of society, from agriculture to education to water and energy resources.
“Cuba Salud 2025” will also host the 16th Health for All Fair from the 21st to the 24th at the Pabexpo fairgrounds. Considered the most important trade fair in the Cuban healthcare sector, it seeks to identify markets and share knowledge. Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero was present at its opening.
Touring more than 100 stands at the 16th International Health for All Fair, Marrero met with executives from nearly 220 companies present at Pabexpo.
For his part, Cuban Vice Prime Minister Eduardo Martínez noted that the major event will be characterized by a strong commitment to science and innovation in the field of health.
He emphasized that China is the guest of honor at Cuba Salud 2025, and the exchanges developed within the framework of the fair will impact the Caribbean nation’s healthcare system.
Havana, April 21 (Prensa Latina) Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel declared a state of official mourning today for the death of the supreme pontiff of the Catholic Church, His Holiness Pope Francis, national television reported.
The measure will be in effect from 6:00 a.m. local time on April 22nd until midnight on April 24th.
According to the statement, Pope Francis was very active in seeking solutions to global problems affecting humanity and the environment, and a fervent advocate for peace.
He agreed with Cuba on many issues on the international agenda during his long and distinguished career as head of state and spiritual leader, the text stated, highlighting his contributions to strengthening relations between this Caribbean nation and the Holy See, based on respectful dialogue.
Moved by deep feelings of affection for the Cuban people, he interceded for the improvement of relations between the United States and Cuba, advocating for the U.S. government to abandon its blockade policy against our nation, he emphasized.
The statement also recalled the friendship the Supreme Pontiff maintained with Army General Raúl Castro and his reception of President Miguel Díaz-Canel at the Holy See in June 2023.
While the official mourning period is in effect, the national flag will be flown at half-mast on public buildings and military institutions.
Rome, Apr 19 (Prensa Latina) The National Association of Italy-Cuba Friendship (ANAIC) celebrates today the 64th anniversary of its founding, which occurred hours after the victory at Playa Girón, achieved by the people of that Latin American nation against a U.S. invasion.
A statement from the organization commemorates its creation on this day, April 19, 1961, after hours of fierce fighting led by Commander in Chief Fidel Castro, annihilated the attempted landing of a brigade of mercenaries serving US imperialism.
“Thousands of people around the world took to the streets to protest against this US-orchestrated operation, as well as to express their solidarity with the Cuban Revolution,” and “in major Italian cities, many comrades flooded the avenues and squares in solidarity with Cuba,” the document recalls.
These actions provided the impetus for the formation of the first Anaic groups, “which today is rooted throughout the country with 77 groups and thousands of activists who, daily and tirelessly, sacrificing their free time and often their families,” support the Cuban people in the defense of their revolutionary process.
“After 64 years of continuous existence, we want to thank our activists and comrades for the work they do daily, and all the citizens who support us” in numerous actions, including denunciations of the criminal economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed on Cuba by the U.S. government, they expressed.
“We wish to remember the presidents who left us, Arnaldo Cambiaghi and Roberto Foresti,” and “we would like to thank Irma Dioli and Sergio Marinoni for the extraordinary work they did during their presidency,” reads the statement from the organization, currently headed by Marco Papacci.
“For our part, our commitment remains to continue raising awareness of the reality of the Cuban Revolution, supporting and defending it,” Anaic emphasizes, reaffirming in the final part of that note that “Long live solidarity among peoples!”, “With socialist Cuba, always until victory!”, and “Homeland or death, we will win!”
Havana, April 19 (Prensa Latina) Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez today denounced the continued massacre perpetrated by Israel against the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip.
In his profile on X, the highest representative of diplomacy of this Caribbean nation pointed out that the Hebrew state exterminates and expels the civilian population of that territory, despite calls to end the genocide.
Meanwhile, he noted, the Zionist government has been preventing the entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip since March 2 and has seized 30 percent of Gazan territory under the false pretext of creating “security zones.”
This Thursday, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit warned that the Palestinian cause now faces the most dangerous threat in its history, amid what he described as a war of extermination launched by the Israeli army.
Speaking at the 57th session of the Higher Coordination Committee for Joint Arab Action, held in Tunis, the official criticized the international community’s silence.
Aboul Gheit also called for work to strengthen the Palestinian people’s struggle for freedom and independence.
