Díaz-Canel arrives in Honduras to participate in the IX CELAC Summit

By René Tamayo León, translated from the Spanish

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras- The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and President of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, arrived at noon on Tuesday (April 8), local time, in Tegucigalpa to lead the Cuban delegation to the IX Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

The president was received at Toncontín International Airport by Manuel Zelaya, general coordinator of the LIBRE party, on behalf of President Xiomara Castro who thanked the Caribbean statesman for his visit and attendance at the summit.

During his first visit to Honduras, the Cuban President, along with his partner, Lis Cuesta Peraza, received a salute from the Honor Guard and was also greeted by the ambassador of Honduras, Juan Roberto Loforte Osorio.

Prior to the president's arrival, Manuel Zelaya gave brief statements to the Cuban presidential press team, to whom he expressed the Honduran people's deep appreciation for Cuba. Here, he explained, "the memory of those who fell in all the battles in Cuba, the struggle of the Cuban people," is also honored.

We, he emphasized, "are eternal supporters and permanent admirers of the struggle of the Cuban people, of Commander Fidel Castro Ruz, of our friend, my comrade Raúl Castro."

Regarding the holding of the IX CELAC Summit, Zelaya commented that this integration platform has "a profound significance, because it contains"—he emphasized—"a large part of the dreams and aspirations of the heroes and founders of Latin America and the Caribbean."

They—he reflected—gave their lives for those ideals, for the dream of unity. In Honduras, we have Morazán, who died fighting for the unity of Central America; in Venezuela, Bolívar, who died for the unity of Latin America and the Caribbean; we have Sucre, Martí... "All the great thinkers and patriots we have had in Our America have dreamed of unity and integration."

And CELAC—he added—"has a quasi-perfect integration." The region's 33 independent nations are represented in it, and that offers "a hope that unity can one day be achieved."

Coordination in Honduras

The IX CELAC Summit will hold its high-level segment on Wednesday, following the national coordinators meeting, which was scheduled for Sunday and Monday, and the foreign ministers exchange, which took place on Tuesday.

Honduran President Xiomara Castro has held the pro tempore presidency of CELAC since March 2024. She received it at the VIII Summit, held in Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and will now pass the leadership to the Republic of Colombia and its President, Gustavo Petro.

The countries of the region have agreed to recognize Honduras's work and its active approach to management, including focused meetings at the ministerial and expert levels on priority issues for the development of our countries, such as education, energy, and agriculture.

Their role in exceptional situations was highlighted, such as the extraordinary summit held on April 16, 2024, to examine the break-in at the Mexican Embassy in Quito by Ecuadorian authorities. This meeting was preceded by a meeting of foreign ministers which made clear the majority of the region's condemnation of the incident, their support and solidarity with Mexico, and a firm call to respect the principles and norms of international law.

During this period, Tegucigalpa also promoted meetings with the European Union, the African Union, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and countries such as China, India, and Turkey. According to experts, these meetings became valuable and fruitful opportunities to strengthen the Community's relationship with relevant international actors and confirmed the importance of CELAC as a legitimate interlocutor in the region.

For Cuba, the goal is always unity

Always inspired by its integrationist vision and the unity of our peoples, this year Cuba actively participated in events convened by the pro tempore Presidency of Honduras.

Cuba acted diligently, for example, in the meetings of national coordinators to address the situation in Haiti, where it supported, among other initiatives, the Community's ability to complement and more vigorously support CARICOM's efforts in support of the sister Caribbean nation.

Cuba's commitment to the community has been firm since its founding. President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez has reiterated at these summits that "CELAC is a work of all."

"Strengthening it," he said, "is an urgent need and a shared duty to achieve the unity and integration of what Martí called Our America."

The island's position has always been the same: only in a cohesive and coordinated manner can the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean face the enormous challenges posed by the regional and international reality.

This is a consensus that continues to develop, as occurred at previous summits, including that of Argentina in 2023 and that of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in 2024. This also demonstrates, Cuba always emphasizes, that by respecting our differences, it is possible to deepen dialogue and promote common interests for the benefit of our peoples.

Arrival of heads of delegations

Since the weekend, official delegations from CELAC member countries have been arriving in Tegucigalpa. Around a dozen of them will be led by their heads of state or government. They will participate in a debate focused on integration, development, and cooperation.

Haitian President Leslie Voltaire, president of the Presidential Transitional Council, was the first to arrive in the Honduran capital last Sunday. On Monday, Guyana's Prime Minister, Mark Phillips, and Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi were received.

Along with the President of Cuba, the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves; the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro; the President of Bolivia, Luis Arce Catacora; and the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, were scheduled to arrive on Tuesday. The President of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo, and the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, will also attend.

This work was translated and shared via a License CC-BY-NC