All posts by JaimeM

President Raul Castro

Another busy day for Raúl in Paris

Another busy day for Raúl in Paris
On his second day in France, the Cuban President met with important government authorities, as well as the director general of UNESCO
Author: Leticia Martínez Hernández | internet@granma.cu
february 3, 2016 09:02:40

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Raúl with Prime Minister Manuel Valls. Photo: Estudios Revolución Photo: Estudio Revolución

PARIS, France. – On his second day in France, Cuban President Raúl Castro Ruz completed a full work agenda, meeting with important government authorities, as well as the director general of the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO).
The day began early in UNESCO’s Paris headquarters, a site visited by
Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro Ruz, in 1995, after participating in the Copenhagen World Summit of Social Development.
Meeting Raúl at the main entrance was Director General Irina Bokova, who has held this position since 2009, and visited Havana on two occasions, most recently in September of 2015.

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CUBA

Victory Caravan reenacted Young workers and soldiers from the Revolutionary Armed Forces and Ministry of the Interior recall the entry of the Rebel Army Victory Caravan in Holguín

Author: Germán Veloz Placencia | german@granma.cu
Author: Darelia Díaz Borrero | internet@granma.cu
Author: Eduardo Palomares Calderón | palomares@granma.cu
january 4, 2016 09:01:20

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Photo: Eduardo Palomares

HOLGUÍN.—Full of joy and enthusiasm, as if 57 years had not passed, Adolfo Begdadi Herrera, accompanied by students of all ages, young workers and soldiers from the Revolutionary Armed Forces and Ministry of the Interior, recalled the arrival of the Rebel Army Victory Caravan’s to the region.
Begdadi spoke during the celebratory event held in the community of Oscar Lucero, once the headquarters of the Batista dictatorship’s Seventh Regiment, known for its brutal attacks on the revolutionary forces and the population which supported them. He emphasized that the Holguín of today, with its many health care centers and schools, is nothing like the region the victorious rebels saw in 1959, as they advanced toward Havana.
Joining Begdadi were revolutionary combatants Idinio Macías Samé, Ramiro Rodríguez Arias and José Amado Árias who were pleased to be surrounded by representatives of younger generations committed to defending the nation’s independence and dignity conquered on January 1, 1959
Elizabet Cuenca Peña, a student at Enrique José Varona High School, was one of the 57 youth which earlier in the morning had met a contingent from Granma in Cacocum, to continue the reenactment of the Victory Caravan’s 1959 march to the capital.
The 17-year-old expressed her amazement that Idinio Macías was only a few years older than her when he was chosen to join Fidel as part of the Caravan, a recognition of his role on the Frank País Second Eastern Front during the insurrection.
Also attending the dialogue between generations in Holguín were Ernesto Santies­te­ban, member of the Party Provincial Political Bureau and Julio César Es­tupiñán Ro­dríguez, president of the People’s Power Provincial Assembly.

CUBA

Cuba will not renounce the principles and ideals for which generations of Cubans have fought

Cuba will not renounce the principles and ideals for which generations of Cubans have fought
The economic plan and state budget for 2016 was approved by the National Assembly of People’s Power on December 29. It was reported that the Cuban economy has grown by 4%
Author: Yenia Silva Correa | informacion@granma.cu
Author: Katheryn Felipe | informacion@granma.cu
Author: Nuria Barbosa León | informacion@granma.cu
december 31, 2015 09:12:27

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Sixth Ordinary Session of the Eighth Legislature of the National Assembly of People’s Power Photo: Jorge Luis González

THE history of our Revolution is full of glorious chapters in the face of challenges, risks and threats, the President of the Councils of State and Ministers, Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, stated during his speech closing the Sixth Ordinary Session of the Eighth Legislature of the National Assembly of People’s Power, December 29.
The Cuban head of state noted that despite the economic crisis and the U.S. economic, commercial and financial blockade of Cuba, the island’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 4% this year, and will continue to grow in 2016, albeit at a slower pace.
He also noted that the number of foreign tourists visiting the country this year rose to 3.5 million; the highest number recorded to date; and reaffirmed the Cuban government’s intention to honor its commitments resulting from the agreements reached in the renegotiation of the island’s debt.
Regarding the issue of relations with the United States, President Raúl Castro stressed that Cuba has repeatedly advised the U.S. government that in order to normalize bilateral relations, the blockade must be lifted and the territory illegally occupied by the Guantánamo Naval Base must be returned, “as I explained in my statement in the Council of Ministers on the 18th, during which I also reaffirmed that Cuba should not be asked to abandon its independence cause, or renounce the principles and ideals for which generations of Cubans have fought, for a century and a half.”

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The Cuban Five, Uncategorized

A year of freedom, A year has passed since the Cuban Five returned home

A year of freedom
A year has passed since the Cuban Five returned home and were reunited with their families and friends. Granma spoke to them about what this year has meant

f0010267 Author: Granma | internet@granma.cu

december 30, 2015 18:12:49

ANTONIO GUERRERO. Photo: www.radiorebelde.cu

ANTONIO GUERRERO: Ready as always

“After 16 years and, I think, three months and four days in prison, being released and returning to my homeland, there is no way, no words to describe that moment (…) What I can say is that from that moment on (…) all that time spent in prison was erased.

“(…) First of all, we would have been willing to fulfill the task we had been sent to complete under the greatest secrecy, and could have died there like other comrades (…). Later came prison, where some of us were sentenced to life, we would have also been willing to die in jail. We knew from day one that the leaders of the Revolution, our government and people weren’t going to abandon us (…). Even in the worst times, we felt that freedom, that joy, that feeling of usefulness of being there denouncing every day the double standard of the empire’s policy in its much-vaunted fight against terrorism. And that was useful, this cause brought many people from around the world together (…) This inspired me to write, to paint, which was another way of feeling even more useful and free.

“So we arrived here, and the year has flown by in the blink of an eye (…) Its been a year in which we have wanted, above all, to express our gratitude to our people and all our friends.

“Just to be clear, from the day we arrived we expressed our willingness to undertake whichever task might be needed to our President, Army General Raúl Castro Ruz; we told him ‘Please also let Fidel know that we are here.’ And our country decided that we would spend the year, not only sharing with our families, but also meeting with many collectives, many young people…

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