A Song of Solidarity and Love for Cuba from Moreno, Argentina

The Teatro Municipal Leopoldo Marechal hosted renowned artists from this Buenos Aires municipality in a concert titled "Urgent Song of Moreno for Cuba," which honored Fidel Castro on the centennial of his birth.

The evening, led by the mayor of this district in Buenos Aires Province, Mariel Fernández, and Cuba's Chargé d'Affaires, Leonardo Baster, was part of the "We Are with Cuba" campaign launched by the Argentine Movement of Solidarity to raise funds for purchasing solar energy equipment to send to the island.

It was also conceived as a tribute to the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution on the centenary of his birth.

The leader of the Morenense Association of Argentine-Cuban Friendship, Enrique Elías, a visual artist and art teacher, stated that this act of support was in reciprocity for the solidarity Cuba has given to the world and to Argentina, where tens of thousands of people recovered their sight thanks to Operation Miracle and were literate through the "Yes, I Can" program.

"To fight for Cuba is to fight for humanity, for solidarity values, for a better world, and for Fidel's vision of sending doctors to any corner of the world to heal and save lives instead of dropping bombs," Elías emphasized as he introduced the cultural event, which had the backing of the municipal government.

Addressing the audience, Mayor Fernández recalled her experience as a young militant supporting "Yes, I Can" in her locality and that many residents of Moreno recovered their sight thanks to Operation Miracle in Cuba and at the hospital in Córdoba.

"That is why the Argentine and Cuban peoples are always united in some way," she affirmed.

"When Silvio Rodríguez came to Moreno, when I met with Ambassador Pedro Pablo Prada, with the Cuban literacy teacher who came to train us, when we were simple neighborhood militants and were able to promote that beautiful program, we always felt that we are brother peoples," stated the young mayor.

"We are in the same fight, in the same struggles. Here in Argentina, we are not going to lower our arms either when they want to hand over portions of our territory to other states," Fernández emphasized, alluding to the Cuban people's resistance against the fierce multidimensional blockade they suffer.

After thanking the people and government of Moreno for their displays of friendship, Leonardo Baster noted that "perhaps we do not realize it, but we all live in Fidel's century, and therefore his legacy is a flag we cannot let fall."

"In extremely difficult times for Cuba, where the squeeze and asphyxiation imposed by the U.S. Administration have reached unimaginable limits, the Cuban people continue to resist without losing joy, optimism, and confidence in victory," emphasized the current head of mission.

Singer-songwriter Pablo Merletti opened the concert with his own songs and those of Silvio Rodríguez, followed by Gallo Obrero y Los Fundadores with their musical parodies blending rock and Argentine political commentary.

Aromitos Musicales contributed tunes from Argentina's rich folklore, including melodic zamba, the rhythmic chamamé, and upbeat chacarera. They invited Gallo Obrero y Los Fundadores to perform "Hasta siempre Comandante" by Carlos Puebla as a duet.

Cintia Medina, accompanied by her children on stage, read the Declaration of Solidarity for Cuba from Moreno, in which they repudiate "the criminal blockade exercised by the U.S. government with total impunity and audacity."

"The Cuban Revolution is an example of dignity and sovereignty for the peoples of the world, an emblem that we will not forget nor abandon," the solidarity document asserts.

The gala for Cuba in Moreno was closed by the popular rock band El Rastrillo, with all performers joining together for a final song.