“We will confront all vestiges of racial discrimination in our society and advance further in the Cuba Revolution’s emancipatory work,” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez stated on March 21, designated International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination by the United Nations.
In a message posted on his Twitter account, the President emphasized that Cuba has a national program, established by the Council of State, to combat racism and racial discrimination.
Since its approval in November of 2019, the program has outlined a plan to address a problem that will only be eradicated with comprehensive, integrated efforts and responsibility shared by all involved.
Diaz-Canel emphasized the commitment of the country’s leadership. The government commission directing the program is chaired by the President himself and includes representatives from 18 state bodies and an equal number of organizations active in civil society. The ministries of Culture, and Foreign Affairs, as well that of Science, Technology and Environment and the Union of Cuban Writers and Artists, collaborate directly in taking action.
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is held every March 21, in honor of the date in 1960 when police opened fire on a peaceful demonstration against apartheid in Sharpeville, South Africa, killing 69 persons.
