It was a multifaceted space with numerous cultural events, sports and gastronomic activities, which adorn the discussions and analysis of the international political panorama.

Festa do Avante, established in 1976 as a tribute to the newspaper of the Portuguese political organization, developed a debate in the International Space of Avante entitled “Struggle, resistance and progress in Latin America.”

Julio César García, member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), stressed in his speech the disastrous consequences that the economic blockade of the United States has for the people of the Caribbean island.

“They suffer negative impacts on food, access to medicines, fuel. A clear and simple example: Cuba has a scientific technological park that can produce more than 600 million medicines and only manages half of them,” he said.

We are not allowed to acquire raw materials to produce the medicines and all the effort that Fidel (Castro) made for the development of science in our country, clashes with the restrictions of the blockade, he added.

The head of the Cuban delegation at the Avante meeting stressed that the extraterritorial measures of harassment by the United States against Cuba, attack States, companies, international companies, evidencing the arrogance of wanting to control even its own allies.

Faced with this, we have to respond with unity, of the revolutionary forces, social movements, left-wing parties (…), it means commitment, ideas to resist, fight and win together with Latin America, he added.

In the presence of Sandra Pereira, former MEP of the PCP, José Ramón Saborido, Cuban ambassador to Portugal, Augusto Fidalgo, president of the Portugal-Cuba Friendship Association, and Belkys Lay, also a PCC official, another meeting related to the Caribbean nation took place. It was the Moment of Solidarity with Cuba in the Coimbra space, in a round table headed by García, in which the Washington blockade and its harmful effects on the Cuban people were criticized.

Likewise, special mention was made of the International Tribunal against the economic, commercial and financial siege of the United States at the headquarters of the European Parliament in 2023, in which Sandra Pereira participated.

It was the opportunity in which praiseworthy assessments were heard about the resistance and the permanent spirit of solidarity of the Cuban people, even in the most difficult conditions.

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