PRESS RELEASE – THE Humanistic Solidarity Association (Saint Lucia-Cuba) led by President Marlene Alexander, recently concluded a ten day Bus Tour in Cuba from April 29th to May 9, 2018. The tour spanned the capital city of Havana in the North-West to Santiago de Cuba in the South, covering almost the entire length of the Republic of Cuba, a distance of approximately 2000 kilometres. The itinerary included overnight stops at various hotels and visits to some of the most popular tourist and UNESCO designated sites in the Western hemisphere. Participants benefited from visits to nine of Cuba’s provinces in that single ten day programme, traversing, in that order, Havana, Villa Clara, Ciego de Avila, Camaguey, Las Tunas, Santiago de Cuba, Sancti Spiritus (Trinidad), Cienfuegos and Matanzas (Varadero Beach).
In Havana, the group visited a range of Cuba’s ultural, industrial and historical offerings. Some of the places visited included Modern and Old Havana, the Revolution Museum, Ernest Hemingway Marina and home, and the Labiofam Biopharmaceutical Research Enterprise among others.
In Santa Clara, the capital city of Villa Clara Province, participants visited the final resting place of Commander of the Cuban Revolution, Ernesto “Che” Guevara, at the Che Guevara Memorial and museum.
In Santiago de Cuba, the group visited the burial ground of the late Cuban President, Fidel Castro Ruz. Also buried in that historic cemetery are Jose Marti, intellectual author of the Cuban Revolution, as well as Vilma Espin, one of the maximum female leaders of the victorious 1959 Cuban Revolution, and the deceased wife of recent former President, Raul Castro. It is also the resting place of General Antonio Maceo, the Bronze Titan, one of the most celebrated freedom fighters and soldiers of the Cuban War of Independence from Spanish colonialism.
The group also took the opportunity to visit the historic settlement of Baraguá, a tight-knit community of Caribbean descendants, with distinct Saint Lucian, Bajan, and Grenadian and Jamaican roots. The group was warmly welcomed with enervating cultural entertainment, featuring performances by two distinct groups of adults and children, touchingly reminiscent of our own culture and dance in Saint Lucia. At the end of the cultural activities, the president of the Humanistic Solidarity Association, Marlene Alexander, presented a flag of Saint Lucia to the president of the community, which was immediately installed among the other three flags, namely the Barbadian, Grenadian and Jamaican national banners. The President indicated that this gesture would represent the start of a collaborative relationship with the Community of Baraguá and promised that the HSA would be taking the initiative to strengthen the bonds of friendship between Saint Lucia and the Community.
The ten day visit was indeed timely, coinciding with the celebration of the inauguration of Cuba’s new President, Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez. The group participated in the Havana May Day Celebrations, at the Square of the Revolution, among thousands of other specially invited guests, where over one million workers marched past the imposing monument to Jose Marti, also one of the most revered Cuban heroes of the Cuban War of Independence against Spanish colonialism, who was killed in battle in 1895 by the Spanish in the Battle of Two Rivers.
The excursionists, most of whom were first time visitors to Cuba, described their visit as a very informative and amazing experience. The group comprised 13 participants (eight Saint Lucians including former Governor General, Her Excellency, Dame Pearlette Calliopa Louisy and three executive members of the HSA; one American national, three British nationals and a German national).
On the eve of the tour, in collaboration with the Embassy of Cuba in Saint Lucia, the Association had hosted Ms. Tania Parra Fonseca, the Eastern Caribbean Director of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), during a four-day visit to Saint Lucia. Ms. Fonseca paid courtesy calls on a number of distinguished Saint Lucians, including Dame Calliopa, the Mayor of Castries, and the President of the Teachers Union. She also met with the HSA Executive Committee and the general membership, in both the north and south of the Island. A welcome reception was also held in Ms. Fonseca’s honour. The ICAP Director’s visit was part of activities to further strengthen the special HSA-ICAP relationship, and to review and plan matters of future collaboration.
The Humanistic Solidarity Association wishes to express our sincere gratitude to His Excellency Jorge Soberon Luis, Cuban Ambassador in Saint Lucia, who extended his very productive courtesies to the group; Ms. Tania Parra Fonseca, ICAP representative; and other AMISTUR representatives, for their very kind assistance in facilitating this very successful May Day 2018 excursion to Cuba.
Persons interested in participating in the Humanistic Solidarity Association tours of Cuba may contact the Association at cell number 1 (758) 488-2266.