Ottawa - The headquarters of the Cuban Embassy in Canada hosted a reception this January 28 to commemorate the 173rd anniversary of the birth of Cuba's National Hero, José Martí, and the 67th anniversary of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution.
In attendance were MP Robert Oliphant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs; Senator Judy White and MP Gabriel Ste-Marie, co-chairs of the Canada-Cuba Parliamentary Friendship Group; Senator Peter Boehm and MP Ahmed Hussen, chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Senate and the House of Commons, respectively; MP Yves-François Blanchet, leader of the Bloc Québécois; MP Don Davies, interim leader of the NDP; members of the Diplomatic Corps and the Cuban community in Ottawa; friends of Cuba, and the staff of the Cuban Embassy in Canada.
In his opening remarks, the Cuban Ambassador, Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz, highlighted the significance of the celebration: "We celebrate not only historical dates but also the ideas of Martí and Fidel in defense of our people's right to forge their own destiny."
The diplomat assured that Cuba deeply values the bonds of friendship that unite it with countries like Canada, "which, for over eighty years, without interruption, has maintained a respectful relationship of dialogue and cooperation." He stated: "There are many ties that unite us politically, economically, socially, and culturally. Canadian tourism, for example, is the primary market for Cuba."
Malmierca Díaz expressed his gratitude to the Canadian government for the significant humanitarian assistance approved last year to address the damage caused by the hurricane and for its traditional rejection of the economic blockade against the Cuban people.
The Ambassador concluded his speech by reaffirming Cuba's commitment to peace and multilateralism: "We do not believe in war. We promote peace. Our people have resisted decades of attempts to destroy us (...) To overcome current difficulties, we do not have many resources. What we do have is a great people convinced that it is just to defend our independence, and we will do so with the unwavering will to be free."
For his part, Robert Oliphant highlighted the ties of friendship between Canada and Cuba: "When we travel from Canada, it is wonderful to be in a country where we are recognized as such good friends (...) it shows the enduring friendship between Canada and Cuba, intertwined in a future destiny where we know that Cuba's prosperity and Canada's prosperity are linked. Our government holds that as an ideal, a vision, and a constant goal: to always remember that we are linked to the people of Cuba."
The cultural segment was presented by the "Tropical" trio, made up of Cuban residents in Canada, who delighted the guests with two iconic songs from the extensive Cuban musical repertoire: “Son de la loma” and “Guantanamera.”
From 6:00 a.m. today, January 28, until 5:59 a.m. on January 29, the iconic "Ottawa" sign will be illuminated with the colors of the Cuban flag.
