Organized by the Latin American Network of Cooperativism (Relcoop), the event brought together in its inaugural session the Cuban ambassador to that country, Carina Soto, and officials from the diplomatic headquarters.

Soto thanked the President of the Network for holding this meeting and said he was moved by the presence of the Heroes of the Republic of Cuba, Antonio Guerrero and Ramón Labañino.

Guerrero and Labañino served long and unjust sentences in American prisons, along with Gerardo Hernández, Fernando González and René González.

“Those who are not Cubans, he stressed, will be able to meet them these days; I will only say that Ramón and Antonio represent this spirit of resistance, creativity, innovation, never losing faith in victory and in a better future; it is the spirit, he said, which accompanies my compatriots and which, I am sure, will be the spirit of this event”.

Shortly after welcoming representatives of companies and cooperatives from Cuba, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, the president of Relcoop, Claudio Alberto Rivera, told Prensa Latina that this type of exchange opens the doors to future business.

Rivera highlighted the results of cooperation in the academic, scientific and cultural fields, and the goal of expanding collaboration in other areas.

For Cuba, the Model cooperatives, specialized in the production and marketing of clothing; Ecomadera (plastic woodworking) and construction cooperatives Sancof, Serconst.

Also the Apocoop project, led by the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP), with the support of Oxfam, and the San Cristóbal agency, among others.

The Dominicans Productos Mama, from Santiago de los Caballeros, Hankook, a distributor of pneumatic products, batteries and oils, and the federation of cooperatives in the agricultural sector are also involved.

Rivera indicated that tomorrow the participants will visit the national cooperatives of teachers (Coopnama) and doctors, in order to exchange with partners and managers.

He pointed out that these activities coincide with the annual day of cooperation carried out by the Latin American Network of Cooperativism and that it will conclude with the XI Ibero-American International Convention “Leadership in the face of social responsibility in the companies of the social and solidarity economy”. “

He specified that the convention, based in the city of Punta Cana, will open next Friday with the participation of 250 delegates from seven countries, namely Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Panama and Guatemala.

It is organized by the network, under the auspices of the National Association of Economists and Accountants of Cuba, represented by its vice-president, Ramón Labañino.

jha/mpv