Lebanon commemorates Cuban Culture Day on the occasion of the celebrations marking the centenary of Fidel Castro's birth
The Cuban Embassy in Lebanon commemorated Cuban Culture Day on the occasion of the centenary of the birth of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz and the recent commemoration of the start of the wars for independence from Spanish colonialism, marked by the Grito de Yara led by Carlos Manuel de Céspedes on 10 October 1868.
The emotional National Meeting of Cuban Residents and Lebanese and Palestinian Graduates was also attended by the president of the Palestinian Graduates League, Ali Al Khatib, the president of the Lebanon-Cuba Friendship Association, Maurice Nohra, and other guests, including Cuban-Lebanese and Cuban-Palestinian youth and children.
The event began with the Cuban national anthem, followed by a speech by Ambassador Jorge P. León Cruz, who thanked everyone for coming together for Cuba and the Cuban people, who are fighting not only to defend our achievements, but also to defend the right of the peoples of the world to their sovereignty and independence.
He also denounced the criminal policy of the US regime and the strengthening of the blockade, which is the main obstacle to Cuba's economic and social development, but the empire will not be able to overcome the determination of the Cuban people and the universal support for solidarity that demands an end to the blockade and the exclusion of Cuba from the spurious list of countries allegedly sponsoring terrorism.
Next, the head of Consular Affairs, Mayra Nieves Escobar, offered a broad and detailed overview of Fidel's legacy in the development of art and culture in Cuba, considered one of the nation's greatest strengths in terms of identity and traditions, which represent the backbone of the defense of the homeland's sovereignty.
She also recalled Fidel's ‘Words to Intellectuals’ on 30 June 1961, which set out the cultural policy of the Revolution, consolidating the process of cultural emancipation with the creation of essential structures such as ICAIC, Casa de las Américas, the System of Art Schools, the National Ballet of Cuba, the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, the UNEAC and the Hermanos Saiz Association, all of which contributed to the cultivation of the best values for our society, based on decolonizing and anti-imperialist thinking and practice.
He also recalled Fidel's ‘Words to Intellectuals’ on 30 June 1961, which set out the cultural policy of the Revolution, consolidating the process of cultural emancipation with the creation of essential structures such as ICAIC, Casa de las Américas, the System of Art Schools, the National Ballet of Cuba, the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, UNEAC and the Hermanos Saiz Association, all of which contributed to the cultivation of the best values for our society, based on decolonizing and anti-imperialist thinking and practice.
On the cultural side, a young Cuban-Lebanese boy gave a karate demonstration, a Cuban resident recited a poem in tribute to the centenary of Fidel's birth, and a member of the board of the Association of Cuban Residents and her daughters sang ‘Guantanamera,’ accompanied by everyone present, who celebrated an emotional day with Cuban culinary delicacies and music from the Caribbean island that enlivened this fraternal gathering of solidarity and friendship.