On Thursday, Venezuelan authorities and Cuban diplomats participated in a ceremony honoring the 100th anniversary of Fidel Castro’s birth.
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During the event, which took place at the National Pantheon in Caracas, where the remains of Liberator Simon Bolivar rest, they laid a floral offering in honor of the Cuban revolutionary leader.
“President Fidel Castro is among the leaders who transcend time and remain in the collective memory,” Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodriguez Rodriguez posted on social media.
“Today, as we commemorate the centennial of his birth, we remember his firm commitment to dignity, social justice, sovereignty and solidarity-based internationalism,” she added.
Among the participants in the ceremony were Cuban Ambassador to Venezuela Jorge Mayo; Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia; National Assembly First Vice President Pedro Infante; Caracas Mayor Carmen Melendez; and Tania Diaz, secretary of international affairs of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela.
Fidel And Bolivar’s Legacy
Ambassador Mayo highlighted the profound admiration that Cuba’s National Hero, Jose Marti, and Fidel Castro, the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, felt for the Liberator of America. That admiration led both men to visit Caracas to pay tribute to Simon Bolivar.
In January 1959, shortly after the revolutionary victory in Cuba, Fidel arrived in Caracas to thank the Venezuelan people for their solidarity.
“That day, Fidel explained Bolivar’s work to all of us. He explained that, even though he could not fulfill his dreams, among his motivations for freedom was the fight for independence. What Bolivar did not accomplish remains to be done,” said Mayo, who reiterated his admiration for the Bolivarian people.
Fidel Castro visited Venezuela 10 times: the first in 1948, when he was a university student, and the last in 2005.
Fidel Remained Unconditionally Committed To Venezuela
Caracas Mayor Carmen Melendez said the people of Caracas are joining the celebration of Fidel’s first centenary and recalled that Fidel frequently showed unconditional support for the people of Venezuela.
“To speak of Fidel is to speak of solidarity, of fraternity with all peoples,” she said, recalling the importance of Cuban cooperation in implementing social policies such as “I Do Can,” a program that enabled thousands of Venezuelans to become literate, and “Barrio Adentro,” a program that brought health professionals to the most vulnerable population.
“The pilot plan of Barrio Adentro and the great missions are an example of Fidel and the Revolution’s contribution,” Melendez said, also highlighting cooperation in sports and culture, which reached communities and popular sectors.
During the day, in addition to the ceremony at the National Pantheon, the federal event “A Hundred Flowers for Fidel” was held, with 100 flowers placed simultaneously in all Bolivar squares throughout the country, as well as a political-cultural event at the National Theater of Caracas.
Fidel And Bolivarian And Marti Thought
Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia expressed his gratitude to the Cuban ambassador for honoring Simon Bolivar and stressed that the two countries maintain deep bonds of brotherhood based on Bolivarian and Marti thought.
“Today is a day of accompaniment and of remembering that our peoples of the Caribbean and South America are brother peoples who are born from that love and commitment to freedom, peace and justice demonstrated by Bolivar, Marti and Castro,” the Venezuelan foreign minister said.
“This is a date to celebrate the 100 years of life of the most extraordinary men on the American continent,” National Assembly Vice President Pedro Infante said, highlighting the contribution of Fidel Castro’s emancipatory thought to strengthening Latin American sovereignty.
He also recalled Castro’s dedication in supporting the peoples of the world not only in their struggles against imperialism, but also in confronting any adverse situation related to natural disasters or diseases.
teleSUR/ JF
Sources: teleSUR – PL
Source: teleSUR
