López Obrador began the day with the placement of a floral offering at the Monument to José Martí, the island’s national hero. Later, the official reception ceremony was held in that same place, the Plaza de la Revolución.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel welcomed him to the country through his Twitter account shortly before López Obrador landed in Havana.
“(The visit) will strengthen the ties of friendship between our countries, which are already endearing because they overcome time and challenges to settle in the soul of our peoples,” he wrote.
After the ceremony, López Obrador and Díaz-Canel held a meeting, first alone and then, in an extended version, with their retinues.
The Mexican president is accompanied by the Foreign Minister, Marcelo Ebrard, and the Secretaries of Defense, Luis Cresencio Sandoval, and of the Navy, José Rafael Ojeda.
Health authorities from both nations also signed an agreement related to the fight against the covid-19 pandemic.
López Obrador’s visit occurs in the midst of the migration crisis that has Mexico as one of the routes chosen by Cuban migrants in their attempt to reach the United States.
The prelude to the visit was the XV meeting of the Working Group on Bilateral Migratory and Consular Affairs, which took place in Mexico City a month ago.
