President Michelle Bachelet Arrives in Cuba on Official Visit

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet arrived in Cuba yesterday to pay a two-day official visit, during which she will meet with the country's highest authorities and will carry out other activities.

Shortly after 06:00 hours, local time, today, the plane of the Chilean Air Force that brought the head of State and her delegation landed at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport.

She was welcomed by Deputy Foreign Minister Rogelio Sierra and other officials from the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as diplomats from the Chilean Embassy in Havana.

According to her agenda, Bachellet will meet on Sunday with artists and intellectuals, and the official welcome ceremony will be held on Monday, when she will lay a wreath at Monument to Cuban National Hero Jose Marti at Revolution Square, will participate in a business forum and will visit the Salvador Allende Pedagogical School.

The Cuban Foreign Ministry said that the Caribbean island shares Bachelet's interest in consolidating and developing economic-commercial and cooperation relations, in addition to promoting investments.

Cuba and Chile, whose relations are in a good state, are united by long-term historic ties.

In 1971, the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, visited Chile during Salvador Allende's government. It was the first official visit by a Cuban president to Santiago.

At the time, Allende said that Cuba is linked 'to the history of Latin America, Fidel Castro represents an authentic revolution and we want to intensify the traditional friendly ties that have always existed between our countries.'

The latest collaboration between the two countries took place after the earthquakes that shook Rancagua on February 27, 2010, and Valparaiso on April 24, 2017, when brigades from the International Contingent of Doctors were sent to assist Chileans.

Bachelet was Chile's president during a first term (2006-2010) and was elected for the second time for the 2014-2018 term.

The Chilean leader, who was the first pro tempore president of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), will be succeeded by Sebatian Piñera on March 11, who will repeat at La Moneda after winning the December elections runoff.