Venezuela’s Maduro First World Leader to Visit New Cuban President
The Venezuelan president promised to maintain close relations with Cuba.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro became the first international leader to pay an official state visit to Cuba following the election of Miguel Diaz-Canel to the office of president.
Maduro, who arrived in Havana Friday, has pledged to strengthen the brotherhood between the two countries.
“We come to renew hope, to renew dreams and … above all, to visualize the 10 years ahead,” Maduro told Cuban state-run media shortly before meeting with Diaz-Canel in the Palace of the Revolution.“We come to renew hope, to renew dreams and … above all, to visualize the 10 years ahead,” Maduro told Cuban state-run media shortly before meeting with Diaz-Canel in the Palace of the Revolution.
On Saturday, Maduro and Diaz-Canel attended a wreath-laying ceremony at a monument dedicated to Cuban National Hero and renowned Latin American literature writer Jose Marti in Havana before commencing talks at the Palace of the Revolution.
Venezuela and Cuba have maintained close relations since 1999 when the then Cuban President Fidel Castro was influential in the political vision that ex-Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez adopted. Current Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has continued the strong links with Cuban President Raul Castro in recent years. Cuba strongly defended Venezuela following their exclusion from the recent Summit of the Americas in Lima, Peru for example.
New Cuban President Diaz-Canel has promised to continue the Cuban Revolution, declaring that there was no room for capitalism on the island.