Tuesday 06 January
2009, San José, Costa
Rica
Central America,
Not Yet a Priority for Obama
Turbulent New Year
in Nicaragua
Landslide Death Toll
Rises To 33 in Guatemala
76 Killed In Colombia's
Rainy Season
Cuban Monument Honors
Omar Torrijos
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Cuban Monument Honors
Omar Torrijos
Havana - A monument to
honor Panamanian ex
President Omar Torrijos
was unveiled on Monday
in this capital, in a
meeting attended by his
son Martin Torrijos,
that nation's president,
who is currently paying
an official visit to
Cuba.
The work by Cuban Andres
Gonzalez was placed on
one of the main avenues
of the capital, and
unveiling it reaffirmed
the friendship and
solidarity between both
nations.
Torrijos was accompanied
by first Cuban
Vicepresident Jose
Rramon Machado Ventura,
Minister Council
Vicepresident Ricardo
Cabrisas, Foreign
Minister Felipe Perez
Roque, Director of the
Program about Marti's
live and work Armando
Hart, and Culture
Minister Abel Prieto.
Havana"s historian
Eusebio Leal said in his
speech that Omar
Torrijos has the strange
privilege of appearing
now, seeing continuity
of his struggle by those
who defend his ideas.
Torrijos evoked the
Panamanian youth's
combat for sovereignty
over the Canal, and
highlighted the late
president's bravery in
the crusade for such
cause, the most truly
embraced by his people.
Omar Torrijos was the
architect of the Treaty
that made that hope come
true and he always spoke
in the name of the poor
of his country, Leal
said.
Adolfo Ahumanda, close
collaborator of the
Panamanian leader,
recalled that Torrijos
ignored warnings and
threats by the United
States to avoid
reestablishment of
relations with Cuba,
broken by previous
governments after
expulsion of the island
from the OAS.
He had received a letter
from the US State
Secretary, saying that
Panama should face the
consequences of
reestablishing relations
with Cuba, but he
decided to do it in a
sovereign gesture,
Ahumanda said.
He emphasized that the
monument unveiled is a
permanent reflect of the
existing relations
between both countries.
In brief statements at
the end of the meeting,
President Martin
Torrijos remarked his
emotion due to the
homage paid and
highlighted the
solidarity that Panama
has received from the
Cuban people and
government.
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