Havana, Oct 19 (RHC) The first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, Raúl Castro, and the president of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel, attended Saturday the funeral honors of Prima Ballerina Assoluta Alicia Alonso, at Havana´s Grand Theater.

The second secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, José Ramón Machado Ventura, the president of the National Assembly, Esteban Lazo,  joined Raúl Castro and Díaz-Canel in the last honor guard.

The Cuban people paid massive tribute to the director of the National Ballet of Cuba, who died on October 17 in Havana, while personalities from around the world offered their condolences and respect to the famous ambassador of Cuban culture.

Intellectuals, students, and colleagues stood in honor guard to the prestigious artist, an icon of the universal ballet, who maintained a strong link with the historical leaders of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel, and Raúl Castro, who offered their unrestricted support to the development of the island's ballet school since its foundation.

In 2000, the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba awarded Alonso the country's highest decoration, the José Martí Order, and in 2015, the same entity decided to rename the Gran Teatro de La Habana with the name of the distinguished Cuban dancer, teacher, and choreographer.