San Jose, Costa Rica.-Two Costa Rican solidarity groups today saluted Cuba for carrying out the Strategic Exercise Bastion 2016, which they deem as necessary practice for the defense of the country.

In a statement published in the capital, the Bolivarian Circle Yamileth Lopez and the Costa Rican People’s Center of Social Studies highlighted that the unequivocal purpose of the exercise in Cuba was to increase the cohesion and readiness of the leading authorities and military commands.

They also asserted that the exercise should not be interpreted as a response to the election of Donald Trump to the White House, because it is a periodical practice aimed at deterring conspiracies, attacks and ‘imperialist military offensives’.

The exercises also improve readiness in the case of natural disasters or other events that would put the population’s life in danger.

The groups stated that the Bastion exercises are carried out as part of the national and civil defense plans of Cuba.