Army General Raúl Castro Ruz was seen on Friday alongside Miguel Díaz-Canel at an event at the Solidaridad con Panamá school, which accommodates children with physical and motor disabilities.
Raúl attended the 35th anniversary celebration of the center with his successor, which was personally inaugurated by the dictator Fidel Castro and has been included in organized visits for heads of state when they come to Cuba.
The elderly general presented a diploma to María Esther La O Ochoa (Teté), who has just retired after leading the school for over 30 years. A little unsteady, Raúl read some verses to the leader in which he praised her passion and dedication to her work.
"We have laughed, we have cried, we have been happy. This has been my home," the teacher expressed, feeling emotional.
The event was attended by family members of the 206 children and adolescents being trained at the facility, as well as officials from the Party and the Government.
Only two weeks have passed since the last public appearance of the aged military leader, when he received the State Councilor and Minister of Public Security of China.
The Presidency of Cuba, through its official channels, emphasized the importance of the visit at a time of tightening bilateral ties, as the Island faces serious economic difficulties.
Just two weeks earlier, he met with Lieutenant General Alexander Viacheslavovich Kurenkov, Minister of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation, the other major ally of the Castro regime.
The appearances of the communist leader have become more frequent since rumors emerged last September about a possible deterioration in his health and even his death.
His presence at various public activities related to Cuba's international relations during a critical time for the country indicates that he continues to play a symbolic and strategic role in the diplomacy of the communist regime.
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