Santiago de Cuba - With a strong folkloric show, the 39th International Caribbean Festival began the eve at the Heredia Theater in Santiago de Cuba, which will be run until July 9, dedicated to the Uruguayan culture.

The Oriente Folkloric Ballet, Kokoye, the Cutumba Folkloric Ballet, Catalonian group Bemba Saoco, singer Zulema Iglesias, Uruguayan group Candomble de Canelones, Madrigal choir and actor Jose Pascual with a poem by Mario Benedetti, made up among other artists, a varied and colorful proposal.

During his opening remarks on Wednesday, Orlando Verges, director of the Caribbean House, sponsoring the renowned Fire Festival, ratified the reasons to dedicate the festival to Uruguay, which despite its geographical distance, it has points of contact with the future of the Caribbean peoples.

He particularly recognized the decisive contribution of the couple made up of Sara Medeiros and Oscar Damian, who from that southern nation gathered wills and efforts for a very long and expensive trip, financed essentially with the own resources of the participants.

He thanked the presence of ambassadors from Uruguay, Mali, South Africa and Honduras, as well as delegations from about 32 countries and the Cuban provinces that will take part in these days of exchanges and mutual discoveries.