Monrovia, May 25, 2017- In the framework of the actions to celebrate Africa Day, the Chargé d'Affaires of Cuba in Liberia, Yordenis Despaigne Vera, gave a lecture at the Fendall Campus of the University of Liberia. Under the title "Getting close to Cuba: Cuba-Africa Relations in the framework of the celebration of Africa Day", the Cuban diplomat intervened before an audience of nearly 60 students of various specialties. The President-elect of the University, Dr. Ophelia Inez Weeks, the Dean of the William Ezra School of Humanities, and other directors of the teaching institution were also present at the meeting.
The Cuban diplomat began his dissertation by offering elements on the geographical location of Cuba, historical background, processes of struggle for independence and progress after the revolutionary triumph of January 1, 1959. He emphasized the arrival, impact and socio-cultural influence of the black slaves in Cuba, as a fundamental component in the process of miscegenation and conformation of a new individual: the Cuban. He also mentioned the manifest commitment of Cuba to Africa, from the triumph of the Revolution, not only with the processes of decolonization and independence and but also with the processes of reconstruction, growth and development of the new nations.
For its part, the young public was active in requesting multiple elements linked to this history that they did not know, the figure of Fidel and the future of Cuba-Liberia relations, based on the presence of a Cuba embassy in Monrovia.
The University of Liberia was founded on February 15, 1951. Since its founding it has had 13 Presidents. Currently, there are more than 22,000 students distributed on 4 campuses, including the Fendall Campus, which houses most of the careers in the humanities.