Cuban News Agency

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Leal gave the visitors a brief explanation on how the restoration process
began in the colonial section of the city and how it has expanded not only
in terms of refurbishing old mansions and palaces but how the city
Historian´s Office began getting involved in community projects with the
residents of the old part of the Cuban capital.

He also thanked the participants for coming to Cuba and stressed that the
people from the US do not need a license to travel to Vietnam, China or
even North Korea, but do to travel to one of their closest neighbors in
the Caribbean. The City Historian added that he hopes that some day the
American people will not require a license to visit a country that has
been historically linked to them. He asked the visitors to urge President
Obama to end the outdated and absurd policy towards Cuba.

He ended his talk with the members of the National Trust group with a call
for peace and friendship between the US and Cuban peoples.

Stephanie Meeks, President of National Trust for Historic Preservation,
who is heading the current delegation to Cuba, thanked Eusebio Leal for
meeting with the participants and congratulated him for the incredible
work underway in Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

National Trust for Historic Preservation was granted a People to People
License by US Treasury Department and have been taking a first hand look
at preservation and conservation work in Havana, Cienfuegos and Trinidad
and have exchanged with the Cuban people.