The solidarity group, headed by Tarja Halonen before she became Finland’s president from 2000 to 2012, assured that they will continue to demand the end of the US blockade against Havana, and Cuba’s removal from Washington’s State Sponsors of Terrorism list, both of which cause so much harm to the Cuban people.

The ambassador met with representatives of the Finland-Cuba Friendship Association to pay tribute to the historic leader of the Revolution, Fidel Castro, on his 97th birthday and the 60th anniversary of that solidarity organization.

“Since the first years of the revolution, the support from the Finnish people has always been felt. The stories, photos, memories, recollections of many of those present today at this commemoration and of others who could not be present, but still keep a little piece of Cuba in their hearts move us,” the diplomat recalled.

Sixty years later, other stories continue to show the friendship between the two peoples, such as the brigade that travels regularly to the eastern province of Las Tunas, where its members work voluntarily at the Children’s Hospital and donate medical supplies, noted Parra, who is also concurrent ambassador to three other Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

She thanked her Finnish friends for their constant denunciation of the “cruel and suffocating blockade that blocks Cuba’s development,” and urged them to add their signatures to the “One million signatures to remove Cuba from the unjust State Sponsors of Terrorism list” campaign.

jg/arm/ro/mh