A friend of Cuba and of Fidel Castro, he was one of the precursors of the bridges of solidarity with the Caribbean nation and the strengthening of ties between its intellectuals.

Havana, April 25 (RHC)-- Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel lamented on Tuesday the death at the age of 96 of U.S. singer and friend of the Cuban Revolution Harry Belafonte.

On his Twitter profile, the Cuban leader said that with the painful departure of Harry Belafonte, the United States and the world lose an extraordinary artist and human being, and the people of Cuba bid farewell to their supportive and unforgettable friend.

"Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family and friends," the Cuban leader added on the social network.

Committed to the cause against racial discrimination, Belafonte shared with his friend Martin Luther King Jr. the struggle for civil rights in the United States in the early 60s of the last century.

And together with other musical personalities, he used his voice to demand the end of famine through the hit song We Are The World (1985).

The American artist was the first Black person to be allowed to perform in many nightclubs. From his position, he achieved racial advances in cinema at a time of much discrimination in much of the United States.

A friend of Cuba and its historic leader Fidel Castro, the artist was one of the forerunners of bridges of solidarity with the Caribbean nation and the strengthening of ties between its intellectuals.

From his spirit as a defender of just causes, he showed support for the Cuban people when he called for the release of five Cuban anti-terrorist fighters -- the Cuban Five -- subjected to long prison sentences in the United States.