The Pope Francisco has landed in Cuba on Saturday and was received with full honors to door. The Caribbean island is the first leg of a trip that will also take him to the United States, the two countries that benefited from its support towards restoring diplomatic relations.
The Alitalia Airbus A330-200 of the company in the traveling Pope landed a few minutes before 16.00 hours at the Jose Marti airport in Havana, where they waited for the ceremony to welcome the president of Cuba, Raul Castro, and Cardinal Jaime Ortega, head of the Catholic Church on the island.
They are also at the airport to the ceremony the first vice president of Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel, representatives of the Catholic hierarchy of the island and a guard of honor.
The President of Cuba, Raul Castro, thanked the Pope for his meeting at the airport their support in restoring diplomatic relations with the United States, a "first step in the process towards normalization of ties between the two countries that require problem solving and remedy injustices.
The blockade, which caused human damage and hardship to the Cuban families is cruel, immoral and illegal, must cease, "said Castro in his speech of welcome Francisco, upon arrival at the airport of Havana, where he began an official visit four days on the island.
For his part, Pope Francisco Raul Castro referred to the situation in which the world finds itself. "The world needs reconciliation in this atmosphere of World War III in stages that we are living," he stated after touchdown.
Also remember that "for several months now, the world is witnessing an event that fills us with hope: the process of normalization of relations between two countries, after years of estrangement," the Pontiff wanted to emphasize that these achievements are "sign of the victory of the culture of encounter, dialogue."
After this act, Francisco, third to visit the island, will move to the headquarters of the Nunciature, where he will stay during his two-day stay in Havana, the first stop of a tour that will also take him to the cities of Holguin and Santiago de Cuba.
