First Vice President of the Councils of State and Ministers Miguel Díaz-Canel represented Cuba at the event commemorating the 60th anniversary of Hugo Chavez’s birth, and emphasized that Comandante Hugo Chávez will eternally be a source of inspiration to those defending the sovereignty, values and history of Latin America and the Caribbean.

“Chávez is an enduring example of devotion to the revolutionary struggle, love for his people and unwavering will and valor,” Díaz-Canel said.

Also participating in the event were many Latin American and Caribbean leaders who commented on the legacy of Chávez, including former President of the Dominican Republic Leonel Fernández;  Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda; Bolivian President Evo Morales; President Salvador Sánchez Cerén from El Salvador; and Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro closed the ceremony and insisted that although the country’s population is not large, Venezuelans will never allow the honor of the homeland to be violated.