Monday, January 30, 2012

Dilma Rousseff, Presidenta de Brasil, ya está en La Habana

Dilma Rousseff , Presidenta de Brasil, a su llegada a La Habana

La Presidenta de la Repúbica Federativa de Brasil, Dilma Rousseff llegó a La Habana esta tarde en su primera gira internacional de este año. En el aeropuerto Internacional José Martí la aguardaba el ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Cuba, Bruno Rodríguez Padilla. La mandataria brasileña cumple así una visita oficial a Cuba que es en el presente un importante socio comercial del coloso sudamericano.


Bruno Rodríguez Padilla le da la bienvenida a la ilustre visitante

A Dilma Rousseff le será dispensada una bienvenida oficial en el Palacio de la Revolución mañana martes, y este acto estará encabezado por Raúl Castro, presidente de la nación caribeña.

Un momento de la llegada de Dilma a La Habana

Se espera que la Presidenta brasileña visite el puerto de Mariel al oeste de la capital cubana, en cuyas obras de expansión participa Brasil como inversor. Además Rousseff firmará nuevos acuerdos de cooperación económica con el país anfitrión. La cooperación entre las dos naciones hermanas se consolidaron durante la presidencia de Lula da Silva, gran amigo de Cuba, y artífice de los vínculos actuales.

Cena y Baile en Toronto celebra natalicio de José Martí

Cena y Baile en honor a José Martí

El pasado día 28 de enero, en ocasión de celebrarse el aniversario 159 del natalicio de nuestro Héroe Nacional José Martí, la Asociación de Amistad Cuba Canadá en Toronto organizó una excelente cena, seguida de un baile que fue amenizado por la banda de Pablo Terry y Sol de Cuba.

Jorge Soberón, Cónsul General de Cuba en Toronto

A la celebración estuvieron invitados el Cónsul General de Cuba en Toronto Jorge Soberón, y otros representantes del Consulado Cubano, así como una representación de nuestra asociación, que también contribuyó con su ayuda a la organización del evento.






La primera parte causó deleite cuando varios niños, a quienes el Maestro quiso especialmente, recitaron poesías compuestas por su mano.


Elizabeth Hill, Presidente de CCFA en Toronto

Los oradores coincidieron en destacar la importancia que para Cuba y sus amigos tiene la vigencia del ideario martiano, que es hoy guía y método de la Revolución Cubana.


Honey Novick nos deleitó con su dulce voz

Pablo Terry y su banda Sol de Cuba tomaron el escenario

A pesar del mal tiempo que azotaba a Toronto esa noche, Pablo Terry y su banda Sol de Cuba, llenaron el salón con la calidez de nuestra música cubana y muchos fueron los que sintieron desaparecer el frío con el baile.

Nuestra asociación agradece a CCFA Toronto por su contínua y sincera amistad y solidaridad con nuestra Patria.


Sunday, January 29, 2012

Concluyó hoy en La Habana Primera Conferencia Nacional del PCC

Raúl Castro, clausura la Conferencia

Hoy concluyó sus labores la Primera Conferencia Nacional del Partido Comunista de Cuba, que sesionó desde ayer en el Palacio de las Convenciones en La Habana, Cuba. El esperado encuentro partidista contó con la participación de más de 800 delegados en representación de la membresía nacional. Sus objetivos fundamentales fueron monitorear el progreso del proceso de cambios aprobados en el Sexto Congreso, examinar el papel del Partido y su trabajo con las masas, así como proponer nuevas ideas y métodos para enfrentar el futuro.

"No sacrificaremos la unidad de los cubanos", Raúl Castro

La Conferencia analizó el desafío que significa para el Partido guiar la adaptación del nuevo modelo económico cubano con el gradual proceso de importantes cambios que conlleva tal empeño y exhortó a sus militantes a buscar nuevas ideas y desechar métodos y concepciones obsoletas,  a la vez que se hizo un llamado a la unidad en torno al PCC y la Revolución.


La Conferencia partidista en el Palacio de la Convenciones

Durante su discurso de clausura el Primer Secretario del organización partidista, Raúl Castro defendió la opción martiana de un partido único que ha escogido Cuba como modelo de desarrollo, aunque dijo "no menospreciar" a aquellos países con sistemas pluripartidistas.


Un aspecto de la clausura

Raúl además desestimó que las desiciones aprobadas en el evento sean soluciones mágicas a todos los problemas que enfrenta Cuba hoy, e instó a trabajar con más disciplina y responsabilidad. El cónclave sesionó en un clima de gran interés por parte de la población en general que sigue la implementación de los Lineamientos aprobados en el Sexto Congreso.

A continuación ofrecemos un enlace al discurso de Raúl Castro.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Celebrado en Toronto el aniversario 53 del triunfo de la Revolución cubana


El fin de semana pasado de celebró en Toronto el aniversario 53 del tirunfo revolucionario en Cuba en 1959.  El acto contó con la presencia de organizaciones comunitarias y políticas de la ciudad de Toronto, así como amigos y grupos solidarios con Cuba.





A continuación el mensaje transmitido por la Asociación de Cubanos en Toronto "Juan Gualberto Gómez"


Fifty-third anniversary of the triumph of the Revolution

It is an honour and a pleasure to represent the Association of Cubans in Toronto “Juan Gualberto Gómez, on whose behalf I thank you for your continued support and solidarity with the noble people of Cuba and its Revolution.

The Revolution was the answer of the Cuban people to the terrible situation in which the majority of them lived with no access to education, health care, social assistance, or dignity. It was the regime of dictator Fulgencio Batista, Washington’s man in Havana, who had seized the presidency of the nation by force, and was receiving from them military supplies and assistance to fight the Rebel Army.

On January 1st, 1959, the revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro took power as the tyrant escaped. The Revolution brought new hopes and the real possibility of building a better future with equal opportunities for all.

Slowly but surely Cuba has advanced, its achievements in fields such as health care, education, scientific research and social justice, just to name a few, are well known facts all over the world.

The progress of all these years have been constantly hindered by the economic and financial blockade the United States of America imposes on Cuba since 1962. This inhuman and unlawful blockade, that pretends to suffocate the country by hunger and death, has prevented the Revolution from accomplishing all its ambitious plans, doing what it can and not necessary what it wanted and had planned to do.

We demand that this blockade against Cuba be lifted immediately.

We also demand that the Cuban Five be released and returned to their families in Cuba where they belong.

Guantánamo belongs to Cuba, the occupation must end.

Viva la gloriosa Revolución Cubana

Viva Cuba Libre Socialista

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Canadian minister praises the ongoing economic reforms that Cuban President Raúl Castro has instituted

The Honourable Diane Ablonczy, Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas and Consular Affairs)


01/08/12 - CTV (Canada)

The Canadian Press

OTTAWA   The Conservative minister for Latin America is softening some of the Harper government's previous tough talk on Cuba.

This week, Diane Ablonczy, the junior foreign minister for the Americas, visits the communist Caribbean island -- which, at 135 kilometres from the southern tip of Florida, is both the closest sworn enemy of the United States and the favoured vacation choice of a million sun-seeking Canadians each year.

Ablonczy praises the ongoing economic reforms that Cuban President Raul Castro has instituted -- opening up private property ownership, new opportunity to hold select private sector jobs, the right to sell a used car -- since he took over the country from his legendary and ailing brother, Fidel, almost four years ago.

 "We see a very significant process of economic reform and liberalization in Cuba," Ablonczy told The Canadian Press in a pre-trip interview.

Ablonczy does not necessarily believe this will lead to greater democratic freedoms any time soon in a country where the government exerts Soviet-era control over its 11 million citizens.

 "Political change is not what Cuban leadership has in mind," she said.

"There's a lot of debate around these things and there's a lot of caution too. But Canada, as an investor in Cuba, with lots of people-to-people contact, wants to play as positive and constructive role as possible."

Ablonczy said Canada stands ready to share experiences and best practices "as Cuba moves forward, very gradually, towards some needed changes and modernization."

Her comments are a marked departure from the language employed by one of her predecessors in the portfolio, Peter Kent, who publicly chided the Castro regime on its human rights record almost three years ago.

His comments prompted Havana to rescind an invitation to visit in the spring of 2009. Kent eventually travelled to Cuba in late 2009, and he reported a successful visit that included discussions on trade and human rights.

Cuba is Canada's largest market in the Caribbean and Central American region, with two-way trade topping $1 billion in 2010. A Canadian oil and gas company, Sherritt International, is the largest foreign investor in Cuba.

Ablonczy, who has travelled widely in the region since her appointment last May, said she wants to form meaningful working relationships with her Cuban counterparts.

She said it's important to be very respectful of her hosts and "what they want to achieve and their own goals and objectives."

A leading voice in Canada's non-governmental agency community agreed there is opportunity for the government to have a meaningful impact on reform in Cuba. 

Robert Fox, head of Oxfam Canada, recently concluded his own working tour of projects in Cuba and said there is good progress being made in municipal governance and in opening up the farming sector to more local participation.

That might not sound like much, but both are significant developments in Cuba, where the Castro regime allows no political dissent and virtually no capitalism.

Municipal councils are meeting and coming up with ideas on how they want to live in their communities, within the constraints of the central government's edicts, said Fox.

"In a country like Cuba, a decentralizing dynamic is also a democratizing dynamic."

Meanwhile, Cuban farmers are working on ways to grow and sell local products locally -- a significant step in a country that, despite massive swaths of fertile countryside, still imports most of its food.

Canada continues to be seen in a positive way in Cuba. Canada has never conditioned its aid to Cuba. Cubans are very aware that there are a million Canadians who come to their country every year," said Fox.

"When we look to the changes in Cuba in terms of opening up to local markets and opening up to global markets, when we look to women's leadership and gender equality, when we look to municipal governments and local authorities, when we look to the co-op movement -- which are all areas that Cubans are taking to a new level -- those are all areas where Canada has huge strengths, huge capacity."

Canadian embassy diplomats in Havana expressed interest to Fox about strengthening municipal authorities and the agricultural sector. 

Ablonczy said Canada does have expertise to offer in those areas but she said she would wait to see what topics her Cuban hosts raise with her.

Canada, she said, does not have all the answers and won't "take a lecturing approach."

Ablonczy is expected to have meetings with Cuba's ministers for foreign affairs, trade and tourism, as well as paying visits to Canadian-funded aid projects. She will also visit Panama and Guatemala in the coming week as well.

Overall, Ablonczy is a staunch defender of her government's efforts to open up economic opportunities throughout the region, even if it means trading and doing business with governments that have less-than-stellar rights records.

She said engagement can contribute to "important human rights advancement in these countries, providing the economic opportunity that is often key for people breaking free from tyranny and oppression...

 "We've taken a very strong stand on wanting to be an active and positive force while being very clear about our concerns and our desire to see human rights continually addressed and advanced in all countries, including our own."