Colonel General Bayardo Ramón Rodríguez Ruiz, head of the General Staff of the Nicaraguan Army, declared today in this capital that he will work to strengthen ties with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba (FAR).

With the FAR and the people of Cuba there are unbreakable ties of brotherhood, and we hope that they will continue to be strengthened and that we can continue to learn from our Cuban brothers, he said in a brief exchange with journalists at the El Cacahual Mausoleum.

We feel highly honoured to be here. Coming to El Cacahual is a source of pride for us. We will remember this and we will pass on its importance to the new generations of officers, he said.

Rodríguez Ruiz also thanked «our FAR brothers for the invitation to return to what is our second homeland, where practically many of us were trained».

He also declared that the importance of his visit demonstrates «to the world that we maintain ties of brotherhood and friendship, in a permanent way, as our peoples of Cuba and Nicaragua deserve».

The FAR and the Nicaraguan Army are twinned, working to prepare ourselves better, day by day, to fulfil the sacred purposes of defending the homeland, peace and freedom of our peoples, he said.

At the monument, Rodríguez Ruiz, together with the delegation accompanying him, was received by Army Corps General Roberto Legrá Sotolongo, First Deputy Minister, Chief of the General Staff of the FAR, and other high-ranking officers.

In addition to laying a wreath where the remains of Lieutenant General Antonio Maceo and his aide Pachito Gómez rest, Legrá Sotolongo explained to the visitor the events that led to the inauguration of El Cacahual and its symbolism.

After his arrival in Cuba the day before, the Colonel General will carry out until June 18 a work agenda that includes visits to military units and entities, as well as to centres of cultural and historical interest.