"We express our condolences, our respect and solidarity to Catholic believers in Cuba and the rest of the World”, said Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque in a statement read to the press.

“We will also send an official message of condolences from president Fidel Castro to Cardenal Eduardo Martinez Somalo, chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church”, said the head of Cuban diplomacy.

“We also inform, he added, that all activities related to the funeral services of the Pope will be widely covered by the media in our country.” "The Cuban government and people have attentively followed, as other peoples of the world, the evolution of Pope John Paul II´s health condition. We now have regrettably been informed with great sorrow of the news of his death”, he assured.

“We always saw the Pope and will always consider him a friend, someone who was always concerned with the poor, who fought neoliberalism and struggled for peace, “ continued the Minister of Foreign Relations.

In his brief words, Perez Roque recalled his people´s gratitude for the visit the Supreme Pontiff made to Cuba on January, 1998.

“We will always remember his statement against the blockade of the United States on Cuba, which he described as unjust and etically unacceptable economic restrictive measures, said the Minister while adding that Cubans will never forget the impact made by his visit.

Cuban TV and radio stations joined in to broadcast the news about the Pope´s death, while church bells in Havana tolled in respect for the Supreme Pontiff.

By: Prensa-Latina