Cuban nationals residing in St. Vincent and the Grenadines commemorated the 150th anniversary of the start of the wars for the independence of Cuba on Friday, October 19th, 2018 at the Cuban Embassy with a cultural-political activity.
The event which saw attendance also from nationals of Venezuela along with several Vincentians heard from Ambassador of Cuba Vilma Reyes Valdespino an explanation of how culture and nation emerged to become an inseparable concept. She noted that Cuba’s is a culture that encompasses poetry, art, music and rebellion all derived from the wars which began 150 years ago. The Ambassador stressed that culture; rebellion and independence are at the core of the Cuban identity.
Ambassador Valdespino, noted that in obtaining true independence for the Cuban people, successive generations fought in fours wars. Spanning a period from 1868 – 1959. She pointed out that after these wars, the National Printing Company of Cuba and the Cuban Institute of Art and Cinematographic industry were created.
Ambassador of The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, His Excellency, Francisco Perez Santa on behalf to the people and government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela extended his support to the people and government of Cuba.
Local activist Renwick Rose was on hand and read the declaration of the association of friendship between St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Cuba and took the opportunity to draw parallels of the fight for independence here; noting that October 21st, 1935; the poor and oppressed people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines were one of the first set of people within the Caribbean to rise up against colonialism and oppression. However, he emphasized that despite the failed attempt to acquire liberation, this triggered uprisings in other parts of the Caribbean, namely: St. Kitts, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Jamaica and Barbados among other Caribbean islands.