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First Spanish Royal Visit Crowns Havana's 500th Party

Reuters

   HAVANA - Cuba is in party mode this week, despite tough economic times
   worsened by tighter U.S. sanctions, as it prepares for its first state
   visit by a Spanish king, to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the
   founding of Havana, the capital.

   Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letizia arrived late on Monday for a
   three-day stay to commemorate the Cuban capital, founded by a Spanish
   conquistador on Nov. 16, 1519 and considered one of the architectural
   jewels of Latin America.

   The royal trip also underscores Europe's rapprochement with Cuba's
   Communist government, even as the United States doubles down on a
   decades-old policy of sanctions.

   Events to mark Havana's anniversary include the inauguration of
   renovated landmarks, concerts, the illumination of city fortifications
   and a rare fireworks display over the Malecon seafront boulevard.

   "We Cubans like to party," said trade union worker Miryelis Hernandez,
   32. "Even if we are feeling low, we know we have to pick ourselves up,
   so it's good Havana is celebrating its 500 years and there is a party."

   The royal couple will tour Havana's old historic center, a UNESCO World
   Heritage site boasting an eclectic mix of colonial, Art Deco and other
   styles that has been undergoing a slow facelift since the 1990s.

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