The president made such statements during his participation in the world meeting “Validity of Chavez’s Bolivarian thought,” held in Venezuela on the tenth anniversary of the death of the Bolivarian leader.

During the meeting, after referring to Chavez’s values and thoughts at present, the head of State highlighted the figure of Fidel as a determining part of the victory of the Sandinista National Liberation Front.

He added that with a revolutionary struggle and an unquestionable cost, they managed to overthrow the last US sailor appointed as the president of Nicaragua.

He recalled the hard times of the armed struggle in the Central American nation against the Somoza dictatorship’s army, whose forces were trained in the United States.

Ortega referred to the victory of that final battle, which, he said, was the result of the courage and determination of the Nicaraguan people. He also brought up to the meeting, the admiration and respect Fidel felt for the land of Augusto C. Sandino.

jrr/iff/npg/ybv