The event's agenda included condemnation of the U.S. blockade of the Caribbean island and solidarity campaigns to help in extreme situations, such as Hurricane Ian or the accidents of oil tankers in Matanzas and at the Saratoga Hotel in Havana.

Valencia, October 15 (RHC)-- The 16th National Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba in Spain was inaugurated this Friday in the Valencian city of Puerto Sagunto.  According to information from Cubaminrex, the event's agenda included condemnation of the U.S. blockade of the Caribbean island and solidarity campaigns to help in extreme situations, such as Hurricane Ian or the accidents of oil tankers in Matanzas and at the Saratoga Hotel in Havana.

The meeting was attended by more than a hundred delegates from some 40 associations in Spain, and had as relevant topics Cuba and the legacy of Fidel Castro, and included numerous speeches by important political personalities of the Valencian community, including the second vice-president of the Government, Héctor Illueca.

In his words, Illueca made a comparison between the courage of the Cuban people to face numerous vicissitudes and the imaginary village of the Gauls of the popular cartoon Asterix and Obelix.

In this regard, he considered that Cuba is the Gaul of the Caribbean, capable of offering an exemplary "magic potion" based on three pillars, the conviction of always achieving success no matter the difficulties, the nobility of its spirit of solidarity with the rest of the world, particularly in health, and its determination in the defense of socialism along with its sovereignty.

High-ranking leaders of Valencia, parliamentarians, councilors, representatives of leftist political parties and diplomats from the Cuban Embassy in Spain, participated in the beginning of the meeting in Puerto de Sagunto, 25 kilometers from the capital city of the region.

Within the program, attended by the Cuban ambassador in Spain, Marcelino Medina, and the first vice-president of the Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), Noemi Rabaza, the intellectuals Ignacio Ramonet and Pascual Serrano exchanged on the theme "The thought of Fidel: from Biran to the present".

Among a wealth of personal anecdotes from various contacts with the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Ramonet and Serrano exchanged in particular on Fidel Castro's visionary character on climate change, fossil fuels, food urgency and capitalist selfishness.

Ramonet, author of the book "100 hours with Fidel" detailed the care and dedication of the Cuban leader when it comes to researching and delving into crucial issues for the present and future of humanity.

A concert to pay tribute to Vicente Feliú completed last night's event with performances by troubadours Marta Campos, Orlis Pineda, Miryam Quiñones, Ismael de la Torre, Lucho Roa, Juan Castillo, Isabel Cunyat and Tomás de los Santos.