Costa Rican President Highlights Values of Cuban Antonio Maceo

President of Costa Rica, Luis Guillermo Solis pointed out today the human and political values of the Cuban pro-independence hero Major General Antonio Maceo, of whom that nation has the best memory.

After paying homage at the mausoleum of the Cacahual, where the remains of Maceo and his assistant Captain Francisco (Panchito) Gomez Toro are resting, Solis recalled that Cuba's national hero, José Martí, stated "Maceo has as much strength in his mind as in his arm".

Maceo, The Bronze Titan, represents the strength of the ties between Costa Rica and Cuba, that is why I had to pay him tribute during my state visit, he said.

This is a tribute to Maceo, he said, but also to Cubans and Costa Ricans, because they are people who devote their lives to the enhancement of principles and values we both have in common.

What Maceo represents, along with other heroes, should be a permanent message to our citizens, the ferocity of his struggle, the lucidity of his ideas, and the understanding that law is the basis of principles of democracy, stated Solis.

My country received with warmth and affection and with open arms the children of this island and it will continue doing so, said the newest member of the Academy of History of Cuba.

Costa Rican Businessmen Show Interest in Business with Cuba

Costa Rican businessmen talked today with representatives of the Chamber of Commerce in Cuba to expand economic links, which they consider mutually beneficial and in conditions to be expanded. As confirmed by Pedro Beirute, general manager of the Foreign Trade of Costa Rica (PROCOMER) a recent technical study made by the institution define a number of opportunities for bilateral business.

PROCOMER, the official said, will contribute to the participation of local companies in the next International Fair of Havana in 2016, as part of an ongoing process of approachment to build a "long-term relationship that is mutually advantageous."

In this business conference, participants sought to identify new export opportunities and potential investments, also from direct contacts with firms in the island.

These discussions take place in the context of the official visit of the President of Costa Rica, Luis Guillermo Solis; the first by a representative of that country to Havana after the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in 1959.

According to a judgment by the head of the Chamber of Commerce in Cuba, Orlando Hernandez Guillen, there are historical, cultural premises and friendship between the two nations, which also facilitate bilateral economic interests.

During the conversation with Costa Rican entrepreneurs, the official assessment of the concrete possibilities of diversifying the exchange of goods and services and develop ties of cooperation in areas such as health and tourism.

Among the initiatives, said the proposal to sign an agreement of economic complementation between the two countries.

Eager to venture into the Cuban reality, visitors also held a productive exchange with Celia Labora, director of International Relations of the Chamber of Commerce, who answered numerous questions about the legal basis and the facilities open for business in the country.

According to government data, Costa Rica managed to place as Cuba's main trading partner in Central America and bilateral trade grew at an annual rate of seven percent in recent times.