Members of the Friends of Cuba Group in Victoria, Canada, carried out an extensive program of activities with the accompaniment of the delegation of the Cuban Friendship Institute (Icap for its Spanish acronym) during their fourth visit to the province of Holguin, where they appreciated the determination to resist and defeat the hostilities of the US government.
For their recognized support in times of so many difficulties, Lupe Isabel Fernández and Yamila Fernández, Holguin Icap delegate and specialist, respectively, presented the group with the Peace, Friendship and Solidarity Distinction, created by Resolution for the 65th anniversary of that Institute, accompanied by a reproduction of the pictorial work Patria Furtiva, by Holguin artist Dayami Pupo Ávila, who has a collection of paintings that honors Marti’s thought.
This grantig of the special recognition follows the one made at the recent annual balance meeting of the Holguin delegation to the Hero of the Republic of Cuba and president of Icap, Fernando González Llort, accompanied by the work El corazón con que vivo.
Moments of emotion were experienced by the Canadian friends and the Icap group, as they exchanged words of mutual recognition for the days shared during the last days of December and the first days of January, in this land of Eastern Cuba where Calixto García, Fidel and Raúl Castro were born.
The moment of departure, to continue working for Cuba, were preceded by days of hard work and deep emotions, as Renato Caravaggio -the group’s leader-, stated that they “enriched knowledge about the Cuban reality, to continue supporting this brave people determined to continue in the battle for the preservation of their conquests, in the face of the blockade, which the US government is intensifying with new unjust, cruel and illegal measures.”
On January 23, the official reception took place at the headquarters of the Icap Holguin and they visited the José María Ochoa School of Music, the Higher Institute of the Arts, to go on with the program of visits to schools and medical care centers, as well as the local Cigar Factory.
The exchanges with representatives of the youth movement, mass organizations, as well as with authorities from the health sector and the Ministry of Foreign Trade were considered fruitful. In the same way, the Victorian friends expressed their excitement over the visit made, in Bayamo, to the Ñico López Museum, the Birthplace of the Father of the Nation Carlos Manuel de Céspedes and the Wax Museum.
In this Cuban city of parks they had the opportunity to witness the pioneer parade for the 172nd anniversary of the birth of José Martí, in the frame of the communication campaign for the 65 years that Icap will celebrate next December, the 20th anniversary of the Chair of Canadian Studies at the University of Holguin and the 80 years of Cuban-Canadian relations, which motivated the celebration of a moving activity at the Celia Sánchez Manduley Campus of the University of Holguin, organized by above mentioned Chair, International Relations and the Icap.
Moments before leaving for the Frank País García International Airport, the leader of the group, Randy Caravaggio and the founder, Carola Brochocka, considered the Cuban people very brave and dignified for the way they face the damage caused by the economic, financial and commercial blockade of the United States government for more than 60 years and that, instead of adjusting to the demands of the world to end this brutal siege, it intensifies it with the implementation of new measures of harassment, pressures and defamations.
For the justice of the Cuban cause, it must be defended, both by this people and by those in solidarity who provide their support and demands in different parts of the world, as is the case in Canada and particularly in Victoria, whose group has made different donations of supplies, medicines, medical equipment and other resources to hospitals, schools and other sectors, whose gestures are greatly appreciated.
Randy recognizes that “everything we do for Cuba is full of love, respect and admiration, because this is a people who are supportive by nature; because, for us, Cuba is the beautiful pupil of the eye that we all have to take care of, for their resistance, example and unconditional support for the just causes of other peoples.
Carola reaffirmed that they will continue to act in favor of Cuba, in Victoria, capital and second most populated city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, where “many people recognize the altruism of Cubans and it is a reason for us to maintain our support in everything that is necessary. We have no doubt about that: the fight will continue here and in our country.
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