• Submitted by: admin
• Caribbean
• culture an traditions
• history
• national
• Politics and Government
• 01 / 02 / 2009

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In the early morning hours of New Year's Day 1959, dictator Fulgencio Batista fled the island in the face of advancing rebel troops led by Fidel Castro. The triumph of the Cuban Revolution is commemorated each year on January 1st.

Parties and celebrations took place in many U.S. cities, including New York City, where solidarity activists used the occasion to call on the incoming administration of President-elect Barack Obama to lift Washington's nearly 50-year blockade against Cuba. The demand was also raised to free the Cuban Five, locked up in U.S. prisons for more than ten years.

Messages of solidarity were sent to Havana from all around the world on this 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution.

Hu Jintao, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, sent a special message to the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro. Jintao said that the revolutionary triumph in Cuba 50 years ago was one of the greatest events of the 20th century, forever changing the destiny of Cuba and opening the road to socialism.

The head of the Chinese Communist Party said that with the leadership of Fidel and the Communist Party, the Cuban people have achieved remarkable success in economic and social development, winning broad international respect and praise.

Hu Jintao said that the friendship between China and Cuba has developed with fruitful and mutually beneficial cooperation in various sectors -- adding that China is willing to go further, hand in hand with Cuba, to establish deeper cooperation and boost friendship to higher levels.

(ACN)