Pretoria, South Africa.- The president of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), Cyril Ramaphosa, expressed his solidarity with Cuba, condemned the blockade imposed by the United States more than half a century ago and exhorted to increase trade between both countries.

In its Declaration of January 8, which took place yesterday in the city of Port Elizabeth, the new leader of the ANC recommended to the South African government to increase trade with Cuba as part of the ‘reinforcement of our solidarity with the people of that country.’

He also demanded that the United States eliminate the economic, commercial and financial blockade that it has maintained over Cuba since the 1960s.

A note released today by the Cuban embassy in South Africa thanked the ANC president for his declarations of solidarity with that country and his calls to the United States to put an end to the economic blockade against him.

Ramaphosa, who was elected president of the ANC in the National Assembly of that veteran organization, held last December, presented yesterday in that city of the province of Eastern Cape the goals of the organization and its priorities, mainly linked to the fight against corruption and the economic advance of South Africa.

In that event, which was attended by more than 70,000 South Africans from all over the country, the leader asked his followers to fight against tribalism, racism, and xenophobia, and to achieve a better coordination that would unmask all forms of corruption and try them.

He promised to redouble the efforts of the ANC to build a society where poor blacks and privileged whites are matters of the past and are replaced by solidarity, and said that ‘we envision an economy that embraces technological innovation, offers safe policies and faces the barriers that hinder growth and social inclusion.’