Members of the Camagüey artistic avant-garde express support for the Revolution (+ Photos)

Text and photos: Lázaro David Najarro Pujol

Camaguey, Cuba.- Members of the affiliates of the Associations of Writers, Plastic Arts, Music, Cinema, Radio and Television and Performing Arts of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC), in Camagüey, expressed their unconditional support for the Revolution and condemned the defamatory campaigns and media aggressions orchestrated from the United States against the island’s social system.

The above took place in a meeting sponsored by the top leaderships of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) and the government in the province to listen to criteria, concerns, proposals and recommendations aimed at improving cultural work in the territory. In addition, draw up tactics to minimize the adverse effects caused by COVID-19 in the work of local creators.

The exchange was also attended by specialists and directors of the institutions of the Culture system in the territory and of the Union of Historians of Cuba.

Ariel Santana Santiesteban, first secretary of the Party’s provincial committee, warned that the territory is not exempt from the danger posed by the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and referred to the restrictions that will be applied to travelers coming from abroad.

He added that despite the effects caused by the pandemic, the country made important contributions on health issues for Cuba and the world, which has received international recognition despite the defamatory campaigns of the US government.

Tamira González Jiménez, provincial director of Culture, said that despite the new coronavirus “we have had a very valuable year.”

The teacher Reinaldo Echemendía Estrada, director of the Folkloric Ballet of Camagüey, referred to the response of the artists with online actions to contribute to cultural promotion. “Spaces have been created for the spiritual satisfaction of the population,” he said.

Norberto Puentes Quintana, director of the Florida Maravilla Orchestra; He said that despite an adverse year the group continues in the same spirit. He considered that commercial music is unprotected from the salary point of view because it depends on massive activities. “The government of Cuba is one of the few in the world that everything it does is for the good of its population”

Sergio Morales Vera, president of UNEAC in the province, pointed out that plastic artists have also been economically harmed due to a depressed tourist market due to COVID-19 and advocated for the institutional and business collecting of works of art destined for, also, in the setting of spaces.

He insisted on the need for greater connectivity of creators from their homes to counteract the defamatory campaigns that are now also directed at culture.

Belkis Cruz Zaragoza, director of the subsidiary of the Cuban Fund for Cultural Assets (FCBC) in Camagüey, explained the strategies to prioritize the attention to plastic artists and supported the importance of institutional collecting.

The director Reinaldo Pérez Labrada, highlighted the use of social networks for the dissemination of culture and spoke of the positive experiences of events such as the Audiovisual Show the Image Warehouse that was projected from Camagüey to the world and had online participation of academics from other nations.

He also exemplified in the first International Virtual Camagua Folk Dance Festival, which was held from December 9 to 11 in the Cuban city of Camagüey, which was a success. “Actions like the previous ones should be continued from now on.”

Ricardo Muñoz Gutiérrez, president of the Camagüey branch of the Union of Historians of Cuba (Unhic), pointed out the need for greater actions with the participation of politicians, ideologues, specialists in the social sciences, and scholars to counter campaigns, aggressions to the national symbols and false news about the reality of the Island.

The plastic artist Martha Jiménez, alluded to the need for greater exchange of the highest authorities of the province with the creators. She also believed that good art contributes to human beings being better as people and stressed that Camagüey is a valuable asset in the development of culture and praised the performance of the artistic teaching system.

Ariel Santana Santiesteban praised the participation of the artistic avant-garde in the work of the province. She indicated evaluating each of the financial potentialities of the municipalities to seek solutions to the concerns of musicians and creators.

She called on intellectuals to also present proposals and screenings that generate greater participation of musical groups in cultural programming.

“We are in the greatest disposition to look for formulas with everyone’s participation and we are open to exchange with artists ”He called for different things to be done for the good of culture with collective thinking.

The Master of Science on Art Fernando Medrano Vireya, director of the Compañía Folklórica Camagua, received special recognition sent by the highest authorities of the country for his performance in community work. / (Translated by Linet Acuña Quilez)

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