Havana, Cuba- The Executive Secretary of the Sao Paulo Forum, Monica Valente, has arrived in Havana to chair the 24th edition of the encounter scheduled to begin on Sunday.

Valente said she was pleased that the Sao Paulo Forum returns to Havana, 25 years after the meeting where the historic leader of the Revolution, Commander in Chief Fidel Castro, shook everyone by saying that with or without socialism, unity was the word to be inscribed on the flags of the region.

The executive secretary of the Sao Paulo Forum said that the meeting this year, hosted by the Cuban Communist Party, takes place at a crucial moment for Latin America and the Caribbean, which is facing a neoliberal and imperialist offensive.

Valente also stressed the importance of the venue, Cuba, which she described as a guide and an example for all progressive forces in the region.