On the second day of the 17th Meeting of Cubans Living in Europe (ECRE), which takes place in the Italian capital this Saturday, various topics related to that country and initiatives in support of the island’s people and government will be addressed.
At the Roma Aurelia Antica Hotel, the event’s venue, a photography exhibition on Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro by renowned lensman Alex Castro will be inaugurated. It will be presented by Representative Indira Fajardo, current president of the Cuban Institute of Music.
Ana Teresita González, head of the General Directorate of Consular Affairs and Assistance to Cubans Living Abroad (Daccre) of the island’s Foreign Ministry, will participate in the evaluation of compliance with the agreements adopted at the 16th ECRE, held in Madrid in May of last year.
The event will also feature panels on various topics, including one on the role of Associations of Cubans Living Abroad in disseminating and defending cultural identity, as well as on the relevance of the ideals of Cuban national hero José Martí.
The project “Martí Illuminates Fidel’s Hundred Years” will be presented, in addition to the exhibition “Words for Fidel,” by photographer and writer Juana Dignorah Laza, in tribute to the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution on the centenary of his birth, which will be commemorated on August 13, 2026.
Another panel at this event will address the impact of the blockade on Cubans, the defense of identity and sovereignty, as well as the role of solidarity and the work currently being carried out by the Cuban Medical Brigade in Italy, in the southern region of Calabria.
A presentation and debate will also be held during the XVII ECRE this Saturday afternoon on the participation of Cubans living abroad in Cuba’s socioeconomic development.
The day will conclude with the reading of the meeting’s agreements, the approval of its final declaration, and the announcement of the venue for the next ECRE, after which the Director General of the Daccre will deliver the closing remarks.
On the morning of Sunday, October 26, those attending this meeting will visit St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, where they will participate in Mass and the Angelus prayer, officiated by Pope Leo XIV, who will greet the meeting participants.
The XVII ECRE began on October 24 with a march through Rome in support of Cuba and denouncing the economic blockade imposed by the United States. The march concluded at the Cuban embassy, where the head of the diplomatic mission, Mirta Granda, expressed her confidence that this event “will bring forth the dialogue that always unites us” with “the homeland at the forefront.”
[ SOURCE: PRENSA LATINA ]
