Human rights and history fills President Higgins first day in Cuba

A potent mix of human rights, civil liberties, culture and history strongly dominated President Michael D Higgins’s four-day official visit to Cuba this week.

The trip marked the first time an Irish head of state visited Cuba while in office. The fact that it comes during a particularly turbulent time in world affairs, and during Cuba’s historic transition from a relatively isolated state to one cautiously opening itself up to globalisation, appeared all the more appealing to the president.

“Michael D” as he was affectionately referred to by those who had come to join in the carefully co-ordinated programme, is widely known to follow keenly, politics and culture of Latin and South America, the evolution of which he told the audience during his speech at the opening of the Irish in Latin America exhibition, is “close to my heart”.