Cuba and U.S. Should Advance to Friendship, Calls Eusebio Leal

Washington, Oct 26 (Prensa Latina) Cuba and the United States should advance courageously to friendship, there are many reasons for that, called in this capital Havana Historian, Eusebio Leal, who highlighted their historic links.

We cannot be hostages of a little group that does not want this, expressed the eve the reknowned intellectual during an event organized to honor him by the National Foundation for Historic Preservation at the museum House of President Woodrow Wilson.

The links between Cuba and the United States not only should they be a political fact, they are an ancient cultural relationship, wherever we move here and there we will find a mark, adsded Leal, whio said this week he has had an intensive program in U.S. territory.

According to the historian, in this place he found many friends to whom he reiterated the will to tighten relations and exchange experiences.

We have much to learn here, and you may also learn something there, above all about conservation in tropical conditions, thus the theme causes such interest in cities like New Orleans (Louisiana), Mobile (Alabama) and Pensacola, Tampa and St. Augustine (Florida) he said.

Leal remembered that in previous visits made to Georgetown, in this capital and Mount Vernon, birth house of the first President of the U.S., George Washington, located in the nearby state of Virginia, he could ratify the presence of that figure in Havana.

The historian recalled that the considered father of the independence of his country was in the island in 1762, and there got part of the experience that would later be useful for his larter exploits.

He also referred to the fact that in the Tomb of the Unknown Mambi, located in the Cuban capitol, appears, among other flags, that of the United States, because 'there were many U.S. enthusiastic youths who fought for her'.

He also sustained that many Cubans were with Washington and from the Caribbean territory soldiers and reinforcements traveled to support the fight of the United States to reach their Independence from Great Britain.

In New York lived Jose Marti, at the Delmonico's restaurant, he celebrated his last birthday, added the historian and added the Apostle of the islansd's Independence lived more time in the U.S. than in his country.

I have always believed, stressed Leal, that Cuba has, had and will have friends in the people of the U.S.

In later statements to Prensa Latina, the historian highligjhted that in these intense days, as part of which he received in New York he received the prize Hadrian from the World Monuments Fund, he visited important cultural institutions and dialogued with colleagues.

Leal, who is accompanied by Magda Resik, director of radio station Habana Radio, thanked the National Foundation for the Historic Preservation for offering on Thursday a space to give a conference on the restauration of the historical center of the capital of the Antillean nation.

I think these links will be very important to sustain future works, added the intelectual, whose stay included a meeting this Friday with doctor David Skorton, secretary of the Smithsonioan Institute and will continue with a meeting today with Phil Mendelson, president of the Council of the District of Columbia.