The Council of State of the Republic of Cuba has awarded –on a request by the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples- the Medal of Friendship to two fighters for justice and solidarity in The United States: Gloria La Riva and Rosemari Mealy.

Gloria and Rosemari, members of the National Committee of the United States for the freedom of the Cuban Five unjustly imprisoned in that country, were given the decorations in a solemn session held at the Conventions Center in capital Havana.

Ricardo Alarcon, President of the National Assembly of the Popular Power, gave the high distinction to Rosemari Mealy, while Salvador Valdes Mesa, General Secretary of the Confederation of Workers of Cuba, placed the Medal on Gloria La Riva.

Mealy, told the News Agency she felt “very excited" for having received homage by a country she admires, and which she feels committed to.

I’m tied to Cuba, she said, by strong bonds, “the ideals of justice and freedom” promoted from Cuba not only for Cubans but for all fair honest people in the world.

“This recognition, Mealy added, is like a new impetus to continue the struggle in the US territory in order to achieve the necessary release of the Cuban Five, who are imprisoned in the United Sates just for protecting their people from attacks that are constantly being "hatched" from the Florida southern.

Mealy, also stressed that the struggle for Barack Obama’s administration to decree the end of the economic, financial and trade blockade imposed by the White House on the Cuban people is a permanent issue of her organization in all US states.

The tribute was part of the International Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba, which each May is organized by the Union Workers of Cuba.

Over a thousand workers from 42 countries attend that meeting now, who also participated in the celebrations on occasion of May Day in Havana.

A translation by: Silke Paez Carr

!joomlacomment 4.0 Copyright (C) 2009 Compojoom.com . All rights reserved."