Share

Cuba marks July 4 at US event in SA

accreditation
BUILDING BRIDGES Carlos Fernandez de Cossío and Patrick Gaspard. Picture: Twitter
BUILDING BRIDGES Carlos Fernandez de Cossío and Patrick Gaspard. Picture: Twitter

Cuban ambassador Carlos Fernández de Cossío has for the first time attended the 4th of July celebrations held at the US embassy in Pretoria.

De Cossío even had a private meeting with US ambassador Patrick Gaspard on the sidelines of the celebrations at his official home on Thursday.

The Miami theme included the serving of Cuban food and a performance by an Afro-Cuban band.

In his speech, Gaspard said one of his agendas of honouring the Miami and the Afro-Cuban theme was related to the closer ties between Cuba and the US.

Ties were restored in July last year after they were severed in 1961, and eventually resulted in President Barack Obama’s visit to Cuba in March.

“One of the remarkable diplomatic achievements over the past years, and certainly over many years, was the renewal of relations between the US and Cuba through the leadership of President Obama,” Gaspard told the crowd of diplomats, businesspeople and others who had dealings with the embassy.

“I don’t have to remind you that the rapprochement started right here in South Africa at Nelson Mandela’s funeral. There was a simple, small, poetic gesture, a simple handshake between President Obama and Raúl Castro, and from that great things have come.”

He said the US and Cuba were indebted to their South African friends for that incredible moment.

He said that just like South Africa and Cuba enjoyed a special relationship, Cuba and the US also had a “remarkable bond”.

This was due to the blend of cultures, their past times, colonialism, slavery and the 2 million Cubans who lived in the US.

The partnership with Cuba and Miami for the embassy’s celebrations was “a tip of the hat to the impact of diplomacy and the cultural debt that the US owes to its immigrants”.

Embassy spokesperson Cynthia Harvey said they were pleased De Cossío accepted the invitation to attend the event.

The Cuban embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. – News24

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you believe that the various planned marches against load shedding will prompt government to bring solutions and resolve the power crisis?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes
20% - 103 votes
No
80% - 403 votes
Vote