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Cuban Revolution

Raúl casts his vote

Raúl casts his vote
President Raúl Castro Ruz exercised his right to vote on Sunday, April 19, in the elections held across all of Cuba to select delegates to Municipal Assemblies of People’s Power.

Author: Leticia Martínez Hernández | internet@granma.cu

april 20, 2015 09:04:42

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Photo: Estudio Revolución

President Raúl Castro Ruz exercised his right to vote on Sunday, April 19, in the elections held across all of Cuba to select delegates to Municipal Assemblies of People’s Power, a day which served as well to commemorate the 54th anniversary of the country’s victory at Playa Girón on the Bay of Pigs.

Upon arriving at the polling station in the Havana municipality of Playa, Raúl conversed with members of the constituency electoral board, emphasizing the importance of these elections in which Cubans elected their representatives to local governmental bodies, fundamental to the country’s political system.

After voting, Raúl chatted with elementary school students, who guarded the ballot box throughout the day, about their studies, what grade they were in, and what they hoped to do as adults. He asked about the length of their turns guarding the ballot box, and how many years they had to wait before voting themselves. Amidst smiles and joking, several photos of the students with Raúl were snapped.

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Photo: Estudio Revolución

As he left the polling station, the President talked with a group of neighbors waiting to greet him.

Cuban Revolution

Fidel exercises his right to vote

Fidel exercises his right to vote
Around 12:40 this afternoon, the ballot bearing Fidel’s vote arrived at polling station no.1 in the Havana municipality of Plaza’s constituency no.13

Author: Arlin Alberty Loforte | internet@granma.cu
april 19, 2015 16:04:25

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Photo: Alex Castro

Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro Ruz exercised his right to vote in the mid-term elections being held today in Cuba to select delegates to Municipal Assemblies of People’s Power, the same day Cuba’s victory over imperialism at Playa Girón is commemorated.

Around 12:40 this afternoon, the ballot bearing Fidel’s vote arrived at polling station no.1 in the Havana municipality of Plaza’s constituency no.13. – placed within an envelope, and appropriately folded, to respect his right to a secret vote.

Fidel was visited at his home by a member of the constituency election board who was responsible for transporting his ballot to the polling station, to be deposited in the ballot box, as is stipulated by the country’s Electoral Law, for those who have the capacity to vote, but whose physical condition makes difficult their attendance at the polling station, whenever the citizen makes the request.

Carmen Llópiz Casadevall, president of the polling station no. 1 electoral board in Constituency no.13, located in the El Carmelo Popular Council district, to whom the ballot was delivered, deposited Fidel’s vote in the ballot box.

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Photo: Alex Castro

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz, appears on the constituency’s registry as voter number 13 among members of the Committee for the Defense of the Revolution no.13, who exercise the right to vote at this site.

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Photo: Jorge Luis González

7TH SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS

President Raúl Castro Ruz, Cuba to participate on an equal footing in 7TH Summit of The Américas

7TH SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS
Cuba will continue to defend the ideas for which our people have assumed the greatest sacrifices and risks
Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, President of the Councils of State and Ministers, thanked the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean for their solidarity, which enabled Cuba to participate on an equal footing in this hemispheric forum, as well as the President of the Republic of Panama for the invitation to attend and the minutes granted for his speech
Author: Raul Castro Ruz | internet@granma.cu
april 14, 2015 09:04:36

Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, President of the Councils of State and Ministers, thanked the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean for their solidarity, which enabled Cuba to participate on an equal footing in this hemispheric forum, as well as the President of the Republic of Panama for the invitation to attend and the minutes granted for his speech

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(Council of State Transcript)
It was high time I spoke here on behalf of Cuba. I
tough I made a great effort, along with my Foreign Minister, to reduce it to eight minutes, and as I’m owed six summits from which we were excluded, 6 times 8, 48 (laughter and applause), I asked President Varela a few moments before entering this magnificent hall, to allow me a few minutes more, especially after we have been hearing so many interesting speeches, and I am not only referring to that of President Obama, but also that of Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, President Dilma Rousseff and others.

Continue reading President Raúl Castro Ruz, Cuba to participate on an equal footing in 7TH Summit of The Américas →

Summit of the Americas

PANAMA.— Given the presence of mercenaries, Cuban delegation abandons Civil Society Forum

 

Before the event began, shouts of “Out, worms out” and “get them out of here,” were heard from the almost 70 Cuban delegates

Author: Sergio Alejandro Gómez | internet@granma.cu
april 8, 2015 18:04:13
PANAMA.— This Wednesday, the representatives of the Cuban delegation temporarily abandoned the Civil Society forum of the 7th Summit of the Americas, given the unacceptable presence of a group of mercenaries, previously denounced by the delegation.

The Cuban delegation left the Civil Society forum with the national flag held high.

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Photo: Juvenal Balán

The Cuban contingent returned to the workshops this afternoon demanding that the accreditation issued to a group of individuals who do not represent true Cuban society and have proven links to terrorists, be revoked.

“Genuine Cuban civil society has left the room as we will not share the space with representatives of an alleged society, which is not our own, which receives financing from others,” explained Delegate to the National Assembly and member of the delegation, Luis Morlote.

For reasons of dignity we can not be asked to share the same roof with these mercenaries, added Morlote, also vice president of the Union of Cuban Writers and Artists (Uneac).

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Photo: Juvenal Balán

Before the event began, shouts of “Out, worms out” and “get them out of here,” were heard from the almost 70 Cuban delegates.

Enrique Alemán, from the Inter-religious Dialogue Platform, sent a message to President of Panama, Juan Carlos Varela, alerting him to the presence of genuine terrorists in the Hotel Panamá, headquarters of the forum.

Joel Suárez, from the Martin Luther King Centre and member of the delegation, recalled that the Summit of the Americas and its parallel forums have a dark history, and that since 1994, when the regional event began, the people have always been shut out and repressed.

However, we hoped that this time would be different and meetings were held in Cuba in order to bring a constructive agenda to Panama, noted Suárez.

In a previous incident, almost 20 Cuban delegates had problems securing accreditation for the forum, and were still unable to enter the space minutes before the event was scheduled to start. A dozen Venezuelan delegates also experienced the same situation.

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Photo: Juvenal Balán
A spontaneous protest broke out at the entrance to the forum, to which dozens of people joined in, including other journalists.

The delegations waved Cuban and Venezuelan flags and chanted “We don’t want to be a U.S. colony; yes, yes we want to be a free and sovereign homeland,” “Pin, pon, out, down with the worms” and “Cuba yes, terrorists no.”

Eventually, the organizers of the forum allowed them to enter via the official list, not through the established accreditation system.

Ruben Castillo, Panamanian coordinator of the forum, stated that situation was the result of delays caused by technical problems and denied any type political selectivity.