Kingston, Jamaica, 26 July 2020. Despite the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, celebrations marking the Cuban Day of National Rebellion have been held in Jamaica and, adapted to the new situation, the Solidarity Movement with Cuba in this sister Caribbean island hosted a virtual forum under the motto 'The 26th July Movement and its relevance in the fight against the global pandemic', with a broad international participation.
The political-cultural activity was held between 11:00 a.m. and 13:00 p.m. local time, chaired by Trevor Brown (President of the Jamaica-Cuba Friendship Association), Hope McNish (President of the Jamaica Peace Council) and Pambana Gutto Basset (social leader and internationalist writer graduated in Jamaica and residing in New Orleans) and with the participation of the Cuban Embassy in Jamaica and more than 30 representatives of solidarity organizations from Canada, USA, Mexico, Nicaragua, Venezuela, United Kingdom and Jamaica.
Speakers at the meeting were Julian Robinson (Member of Parliament and Secretary General of the People's National Party of Jamaica), Inés Fors (Ambassador of Cuba to Jamaica), Bridget Budier (Ambassador of Nicaragua to Jamaica), Cikiah Thomas (Chair of the Global African Congress), Medea Benjamin (President of the American pacifist organization ‘Code Pink’), Armando Arronte (Chief of the Cuban Medical Brigade in Jamaica) and Osvaldo Cárdenas (Vice president of the Association of Cuban Residents in Jamaica, who in his youth was a member of the M-26-7)
The activity included the transmission of a message from the president of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with Peoples, the Hero of the Republic of Cuba Fernando González; a live performance by the Venezuelan artist Luis Felipe Bellorín; testimonial videos on the assaults on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes barracks, and evocative music of the historic event, including the 26th of July March, which was sung along by participants.
Link to the event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/100005867679050/videos/1344653292406914/