José Manuel Pérez Andino, Manolo Ogbeyono, president of the Yoruba Cultural Association of Cuba.

Havana, April 8 (RHC)--José Manuel Pérez Andino, Manolo Ogbeyono, president of the Yoruba Cultural Association of Cuba, died Wednesday in Havana, a victim of cardiorespiratory complications.

Perez Andino was a member of the Interreligious Platform of Cuba; he was a Freemason and a member of the Abakuá Society, of which he was a prominent personality. Religion and revolution were creeds in his daily practice.

In recent days, given the situation generated by the pandemic, he called for "the unity of Cubans, believers or non-believers, turned into one big family, to continue building the country they want and need with their own efforts; to banish from their minds and hearts lies, hatred, malice, and envy, leaving only room for love, love for the homeland, for their neighbor, for faith and for the desire to always preserve that beautiful legacy left to them by our African ancestors."

Cuban President Miguel Diaz Canel conveyed to his relatives, friends, and members of the Yoruba Cultural Association for the death of Manolo Ogbeyono.