Cuban VP congratulates Pinar Del Rio People

PINAR DEL RIO, Cuba, Jul 26 (acn) Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, Second Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, congratulated on behalf of the Cuban President Raul Castro and the Party the Cuban people, workers, peasants and all the people from Pinar Del Río by the results in the comprehensive development of the province.

In the central event for the 64th anniversary of the Moncada´s Deed and the National Rebelliousness Day, he especially recognized Gladys Martinez, first Secretary of the Party in the province, and Ernesto Barreto, President of the Provincial Government, by leading, with organization and effectiveness, the enthusiasm and commitment of the people.
He emphasized in his speech that although without his physical presence, Commander in Chief Fidel Castro has not ceased to be, through his image, work and example, and with a people who is willing to be consistent with the concept of Revolution he bequeathed to us.
Machado Ventura stressed in presence of Army General Raul Castro, President of the Councils of State and Ministers, that the economy is the essential task for the country, by being the base to sustain all the conquests of the Revolution, and for this, Pinar del Río´s tobacco sector is crucial.
This territory shows achievements in the current tobacco harvest, the largest in the last 10 years, in a land in which this crop is emblematic; "But now they have to definitely consolidate what has been achieved," he said.
He added that while fishing, mining, industry and services are advancing, there are still insufficient agricultural crops in the province, so he called for labor with discipline because "much remains to be done for the definitive take-off of the economy and thereby giving response to the needs of the people ".
The Cuban VP highlighted the tourism boom in the territory, with growth of five percent in the first half of the year, compared to the same period of 2016, and expressed his conviction that the workers of Pinar del Río will continue to contribute to the development of the economy.
There were in Pinar del Rio only 248 doctors, 25 dentists and 50 nurses in 1959, and today there are 626 offices of the Family Doctor, 19 polyclinics, 8 stomatological clinics and 5 hospitals, with 4,557 physicians and 5,635 nurses, he stated.
The incredible number of 60 children died per 1,000 live births was reversed to 1.7 this year, the lowest in Cuba, noted the former Cuban guerrilla commander.
The Second Party Secretary was emphatic in denouncing the insinuations of an "influential American newspaper" about Cuba's alleged involvement in an eventual international mediation related to the situation in Venezuela.
Cuba flatly rejects such insinuations and demands absolute respect for Venezuela's sovereignty and self-determination, he said.
He added that those who try to teach democracy and human rights in Venezuela, while encouraging coup violence and terrorism, must take their hands out of that nation, because it is only up to the Bolivarian people and government to overcome their difficulties without foreign interference.
Machado Ventura used the occasion to reaffirm Cuba's unshakable solidarity with the Venezuelan people, its Revolution and the legitimate government of Nicolas Maduro.
The ceremony was also attended by members of the Venceremos brigade and the 28th United States-Cuba Friendship Caravan, sponsored by the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization (IFCO) -Pastors for Peace-, who defy the travel ban of Americans to Cuba and demonstrate against the economic, financial and commercial blockade imposed by the United States to the Caribbean island for more than half a century.
This is the third time that Pinar del Río hosts the national event for the anniversary of the assault on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Cespedes barracks.