In Lebanon, the vice president of the Palestinian National Council condemns the blockade and demands its end, and sends a message of solidarity and support to the Cuban people via the president of the ANPP in Cuba
Cuban Ambassador Jorge P. León Cruz received a delegation led by Ali Faisal, Vice President of the Palestinian National Council and Deputy Secretary-General of the FDLP, who requested that a message be sent to Esteban Lazo Hernández, President of the National Assembly of People’s Power, expressing the Palestinian people’s solidarity with the Cuban people, as well as their firm support for the broadest possible global solidarity campaign with Cuba to lift the U.S.-imposed blockade against the Caribbean island.
The delegation also conveyed the greetings and gratitude of the Front’s leadership and its Secretary-General, Comrade Fahd Suleiman, to the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, for his historic stance in support of the Palestinian people.
The delegation, which also included Arkan Badr and Khaldat Hussein, emphasized that they are working to hold a comprehensive national dialogue, with the participation of all Palestinians and without preconditions; to call for general elections; and to adopt a comprehensive national strategy to achieve unity, end the division, and form a government of national consensus. It also explained how attempts are being made to undermine the cause of the refugees and their right of return through the dismantling of UNRWA and the exacerbation of the suffering of Palestinian refugees, in the face of accelerated cuts to services, the closure of several schools and clinics, and the cancellation of the social security program.
The Palestinian leaders thanked the Cuban diplomat for the detailed explanations and comprehensive update he provided regarding the main impacts caused by the intensification of the blockade, the energy blockade, and the additional measures the United States is imposing against Cuba, as well as the threats of military aggression against the island—which poses no threat to U.S. national security—and the firm resolve and unity between the Cuban government and people, who are determined to overcome the blockade and U.S. aggression in defense of Cuba’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Finally, the ambassador thanked the delegation for its visit and for its expressions of solidarity with Cuba, which will always stand by the Palestinian people in their quest to establish an independent state, with East Jerusalem as its capital and the right of return for refugees.
At the conclusion of the visit, the delegation reiterated that the Palestinian people stand with Cuba in the face of the blockade, blackmail, and economic and military threats from imperialism, and reaffirmed Palestine’s support and solidarity with the Cuban people and government.