Havana, September 2 (RHC) -– Giustino Di Celmo, a close friend of Cuba and its socialist revolution, passed away on Tuesday at 94 in Havana.

An Italian businessman, Di Celmo, who was born in Salerno, Italy on December 24, 1920, arrived in Cuba for the first time in 1992 along with his son, Fabio Di Celmo.

On September 4, 1997, Fabio was the victim of a terrorist bombing at the Copacabana Hotel, as part of a series of violent attacks against Cuban tourist facilities that year by paid-mercenaries serving to anti-Cuba interests.

Following the murder of his son, Guistino, a World War II veteran and a peace-loving man, decided to definitively settle in Cuba and dedicated the last years of his life to denounce terrorist acts against Cuba and promote international solidarity with the island. He worked to lift the over-50-year U.S. economic, commercial and financial blockade of Cuba. He also joined the Cuban people's struggle for the return to Cuba of Elian Gonzalez, and for the return of the five Cuban anti-terrorist fighters who served unfair prison sentences in U.S. jails.

Guistino Di Celmo requested membership in Cuba's Communist Party, which was exceptionally granted in 1997.

His body will be cremated and later repatriated to his native Italy.