Miguel Díaz-Canel, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, thanked Nivia Regina Da Silva and Marcelo Durao, of Brazil’s Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST), for their love and unwavering support of the Cuban people.
Through his official account on the social network X, the Cuban president emphasized that the awarding of the Friendship Medal honors “two comrades who have made solidarity with our country a reason for living.”
“On behalf of #Cuba, we awarded the Friendship Medal to Nivia Regina Da Silva and Marcelo Durao, of the @MST_Oficial. We honor this sister and brother who have made solidarity with our country a reason for living. Thank you for your love and unwavering support of our people.”
The award ceremony took place this Wednesday in the El Sol de América Hall of the Palace of the Revolution, and the decoration was granted by the Council of State at the proposal of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP).
Fernando González Llort, president of ICAP, explained the decision and highlighted the trajectory of both social leaders, who have maintained active solidarity with Cuba in campaigns against the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States, for the release of the Cuban Five (Cuban anti-terrorists), and for the donation of seeds, agricultural machinery, and medicines.
Nivia Regina Da Silva, an agronomist specializing in agroecology and a member of the National Coordination of the MST (Landless Workers’ Movement), has led support actions in front of U.S. diplomatic missions in Brazil and promoted cooperation initiatives.
Marcelo Durao Fernández, a member of the MST’s National Coordination, participated in the creation of CLOC Vía Campesina and ALBA Movements, in addition to promoting campaigns against the FTAA and supporting the cause of the Cuban Five through cultural and educational activities.
Founded in 1984, the MST brings together more than half a million families in 24 Brazilian states, promotes agrarian reform and popular education, and has created more than two thousand public schools serving approximately 200,000 people.
IMAGE CREDIT: ACN | Photos: Estudios Revolución
[ SOURCE: AGENCIA CUBANA DE NOTICIAS ]
