Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has awarded the Haydee Santamaria Medal to Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, recognising his contributions to culture and revolution.
Gatekeepers News reports that the medal was presented at the Casa de las Americas in Havana, Cuba, on August 23, during Soyinka’s visit to the country.
In a statement, President Diaz-Canel said Soyinka’s visit is “very significant, it is the visit of a brother who has always fought for just causes.”
He added that awarding Soyinka the medal is an expression of Cuba’s appreciation for his work, highlighting the importance of culture to revolution.
“With you, we share ideas, dreams, commitment to human improvement,” Diaz-Canel said.
Jorge Fornet, director of the Centre for Literary Research of Casa de las Americas, described the award as “an act of justice that honours us.”
The event also celebrated Soyinka’s 90th birthday and the 60th anniversary of his first visit to Cuba.
In his remarks, Soyinka emphasised the importance of strengthening ties between Africa and Cuba, noting that the country is also his home.
“Our ties with Cuba are not limited to art and literature, but also to liberation,” Soyinka said.
He also mentioned the significance of Yoruba culture in Cuba, saying “Yoruba is everywhere here, and that completes the spiritual aspect of people like me.”
The Haydee Santamaria Medal is awarded to individuals who have contributed to making the objectives of the Casa de las Americas a reality.
Soyinka was also presented with the Dulce María Loynaz International Prize by the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba.
Omar Valiño, a theatre critic and theorist, described Soyinka as a “consistent man” whose intellectual work draws on the ancestral wisdom of Yoruba culture.
Soyinka was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986.
