Cuban envoy lauds media in Liberia

The Cuban Embassy near Monrovia expresses a strong desire to work closely with the Liberian media in disseminating realities about the life of the Cuban people and their rich history and culture.

The Charge d’ Affairs of Liberia at the Cuban Embassy in Congo Town outside Monrovia, Yordenis Despaigne Vera, expressed the desire on Friday, 2 March while paying a courtesy call on the Managing Editor of The New Dawn Newspaper, Mr. Othello B. Garblah, on Crown Hill, Broad Street in the Liberian Capital. He was accompanied to the paper by the Second Secretary of the Cuban Embassy here, Carmen Maury Toledo.

“We appreciate your reportage of news from Cuba. Most of the time it is very difficult to publish news about the reality; thanks for the opportunity”, says Mr. Vera.

He says Cuba does not have financial means to support the media in Liberia, but there could be collaboration in many areas, disclosing that Cuba has ties with about 157 countries, and there are 9,000 Africans studying in the Caribbean country, including five Liberians, one of whom works at the Ministry of Youth and Sports and is current Vice President of the Cuba-Liberia Friendship Association.

The Cuban envoy adds that more than 29 000 Africans have graduated in Cuba, from which more than 90 percent belongs to Sub-saharan Africa.

The Government of Cuba deployed 53 Doctors to Liberia during the Ebola crisis from October 2014 to March 2015.

Welcoming the Cuban diplomat to his office, Mr. Garblah conveys his highest sentiments thru him to the Government and people of Cuba for the enormous assistance to Liberia over the years.

He says Liberia has urgent needs in the areas of Education and Health and looks up to Cuba for intervention, particularly specialist Doctors.

He notes that despite sanctions, Cuba has survived because of resilience and its Doctors are one of the best in the world.

About his paper, the Managing Editor explains that The New Dawn, with a current circulation of 2,500 copies daily is widely read at home and abroad, maintaining online circulation in Europe, America, England and North America, including links with several American news networks, Project Syndicate, and BBC, among others.

“We as journalists, create platforms for the world; ours is not an issue of what can I get, but how can I play my role”, Mr. Garblah stresses. The paper was officially registered on November 16, 2009, but commenced publication on January 22, 2010.

Before departing, Mr. Garblah led the Cuban Envoy on a tour of the paper’s printing facilities, which include two-color Heidelberg printing machines, one Adolf Mohr paper cutter and FT40AM Film Exposure Systems, among others.

By Jonathan Browne