Wellington, February 15, 2016. Members of the Rotary Club in Plimmerton and Lower Hutt showed satisfaction at the prospect of expanding their knowledge on Cuba, a geographically distant country that nevertheless shares with New Zealand several common elements, given by their island nation condition.
The opportunity was the result a couple of presentations by Cuban ambassador, Mario Alzugaray, which covered the central elements of the history of his country, as well as the current situation and development prospects of the Caribbean nation.
During the exchange, the Cuban diplomat offered information on his country's ties with the Pacific, highlighting the existing cooperation projects with the small islands of that region and the potential of promoting triangular cooperation with New Zealand. There were also other fundamental elements of Cuba's foreign policy, including its support for peace and in favor of nuclear disarmament, which is also strongly advocated by New Zealand.
The Rotarians showed great interest in the effects of the US economic, commercial and financial blockade, rejecting the US government's hostile policy and showing surprise at the continuity of the embargo, despite the advances made in the last two years in relations between Havana and Washington.
Some of those present commented on their already scheduled and upcoming trip to Cuba, a destination that has experienced sustained growth of over 50% per year since 2015 among Kiwi travelers.
Additional information was given to explain the process of updating the Cuban economic model, underlining the importance for the government of maintaining the social achievements of the Revolution.