CAMAGÜEY. - Organized by the Association of Friendship Sweden - Cuba and The Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) they did stay in the city, a score of Swedish friends, who are on a tour in the whole Island to know more about the country and its people.
The program in Camagüey contemplated a trip for the whole Historical Center of the metropolis and the visit to the Academy of Arts Vicentina de la Torre, there they could exchange with students and teachers of the prestigious teaching institution.
“There were 21 hours of trip to come to Cuba” tells to Adelante Digital Kersti Bjorkqvist, Swedish nurse that for the first time she comes to this Island. “I dreamed for many years to be able to visit them but really till now I could. We are so impressed because beyond the economic problems, the people fight to solve practical problems. We have seen what we already knew: a poor country but without illiteracy and with very good health indexes.
“I wanted to come because I was married with an Argentinian for 15 years and I know how important Cuba has been for Latin America as country model. Also for the pleasure, for knowing, for the music. This is a very nice and clean city, amazes that even being so small it has a notable cultural development. We liked very much the squares quantity, the people very agreeable and ready to help us”.
Anna Artén, is the tour-leader of these expeditions, communist militant of Sweden who lived in Cuba during the hardest years of the Special Period. Now she devotes herself to bring to the Island groups of solidarity and she is glad of knowing how they think and the Cuban feels.
“This is my trip number 23, I try to do it two or three times a year. In other occasions, I have already been in Camagüey but it does not stop liking me, on the contrary, it is a pity that the time does not allow us to have a wider program. It has impressed the members of this group that there is many culture in this country and that every place supports its traditions.
“We have other plans with the ICAP in the province, we want to include in the next trips the Conservatory of Music José White, the workshop of the family Casanova and the plastic art galleries of the city”.
Translated by Linet Acuña Quilez