[NYTr] Cuban Solidarity Event Prepares to Celebrate Anniversary of Havana

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Agencia Cubana de Noticias (ACN)
http://ainch.ain.cu/mailman/listinfo/ingles


Cuban Solidarity Event Prepares to Celebrate Anniversary of Havana

Havana, Nov 15 (acn) The 15th Meeting of Solidarity of City Halls with 
Havana held a plenary session this Thursday in which Cuban Deputy 
Foreign Minister Omelio Caballero said, "The island has never been 
alone throughout the years of facing all the challenges posed by the 
United States government."

Caballero thanked the gesture of solidarity from the hundreds of 
delegates who traveled to the island to attend the event. He pointed 
out the importance of such action in a moment when US President George 
W. Bush is trying to tighten up the policy to bring down the Cuban 
Revolution.

Eusebio Leal Spengler, head of Havana's History Office, spoke about the 
wide variety of participants this year as more than 500 delegates
including mayors, governors, representatives from solidarity group and
NGO's from more than 36 countries are attending the gathering.

After a brief history of the founding of Havana -originally called San 
Cristobal de La Habana- on November 16, 1519, he said the yearly 
pilgrimage would take place Thursday afternoon and Friday morning to a 
Ceiba Tree to celebrate the anniversary of the founding of the city.

Also present at the meeting were Jose Ramon Fernandez, vice president 
of the council of ministers; Juan Contino, Havana's Provincial 
Government President; and Leonel Gonzalez, secretary of the Foreign 
Relations Commission.

After three days of activities, the event concludes November 16 with 
the celebration of the 488 anniversary of the founding of Havana.