The president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, pondered the historical ties of his country with Africa in the context of today’s celebration of the Day of that continent.

On his Twitter account, the president stressed that this geographical area “constitutes a point of origin, a common destiny and all hope.”

Africa Day is a holiday celebrated every May 25 in different countries. The date commemorates the moment when 32 leaders from that continent met in Addis Ababa to form the Organization of African Unity, today the African Union.

The commemoration was decreed with the objective of publicizing the needs faced by the nations of that territory and serves to claim their liberation from colonialism and socioeconomic advances.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cuba enjoys prestige in that region for its selfless contribution to the struggles for the independence of its territories, and in favor of development.

In that land, 385,908 Cubans fought, many of them descendants of the 1,200,000 slaves who came to the Caribbean country from Africa, the source emphasized.

The Foreign Ministry also stressed how, since the triumph of the Revolution in 1959, the island “has practiced a consistent internationalism, being faithful to its principles of solidarity towards its brothers.”