CUBA, February 18, 2009. Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom expressed his satisfaction with his visit to Cuba after receiving an explanation of Cuba’s scientific programs from experts at the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology on Tuesday. In a statement to the press, he described his meeting with Cuban President Raúl Castro Ruz as "extraordinary" and confirmed that his stay on the island had given him the opportunity to see for himself the Caribbean nation’s efforts in areas such as health care, biotechnological research, petrochemical development and education which, he said, will contribute to increasing relations between the two countries. He also highlighted the responsibility of current leaders with respect to the integration process in Latin America in the face of "the new opportunities that this is providing and as the governments of the region are showing themselves to be increasingly similar." Latin American unity was also one of the central themes of the master lecture entitled "Social Development in Guatemala," given by Colom at the University of Havana’s Aula Magna. "Within this Latin America, we can feel the winds of change and the peoples of the region are establishing a new course for the continent," said the president, who stated that a particularly special moment in that process was the summit held in Salvador de Bahía, Brazil where Cuba was made a member of the Río Group, an event that he described as "an act of continental conscience." The president thanked the island for its permanent solidarity with Guatemala and its support in the reconstruction of the Central American country. This support, he highlighted, is visible today in the reduction of the infant and neonatal mortality rates, achievements in education – including the enrollment of 1.4 million children in the school system this year – and the practice of social justice. With heartfelt words – and as an example of historical redress – Colom officially apologized to the Cuban people for the use of Guatemalan territory during the preparations for the mercenary Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961. During the ceremony, also presided over by José Ramón Balaguer, health minister and member of the Political Bureau, and Rubén Zardoya, president of the university, Colom received a plaque commemorating the 280th anniversary of the founding of the University of Havana. In addition, the Manuel Galich Honorary Chair was established, and in tribute to the notable thinker from the Land of the Quetzal whose name it bears, it will promote academic exchange and research between the two nations. |