Dilma Rousseff will also deal with the maximum Cuban authorities on the progress of the work of expansion of the port of Mariel.

• Dilma Rousseff is interested in knowing about the upgrade of the Socialist economic model of island policy

Will come on Monday the President of Brazil to address issues of economic and commercial accent

Havana, CUBA (29/Jan/2011)-the President of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, will arrive Monday to Cuba on his first official visit to the island to review bilateral relations, mainly the economic and trade, and with human rights as a backdrop.

After landing tomorrow in Havana, the official agenda of Rousseff will begin Tuesday with the usual tribute to the national hero José Martí before meeting with the Cuban President, Raúl Castro, in the Palace of the revolution, according to the programme disclosed in the island.

On the visit of Rousseff, Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota, stated that “with Cuba a close politically and economically more and more”, said in an interview published Sunday in the Chilean newspaper El Mercurio.

With regard to the questions on the situation of human rights in Cuba, Patriot believes that all countries have challenges in the field of human rights and democracy and believes that the important thing is that in the Latin American region “there is a recognition of Cuban specificity”.

The Brazilian President visits the island few days after having granted a visa for tourist to the critical blogger Yoani Sánchez to travel to the South American country.

Sanchez sent a letter that asked he intercede for her before the Cuban Government to get the permission to leave the island to attend the premiere of the documentary film entitled “Cuba-Honduras connection”, which deals with the Suppression of freedom of expression on the Caribbean island to Rousseff.

The time of the visit is also marked by criticism in recent days has been Cuba, mainly Spain and United States, for the death of the prisoner Wilman Villar, Member of the illegal Patriotic Union of Cuba, in a strike of hunger, according to internal dissent.

But, according to officials of the Brazilian Government, the agenda of Rousseff in Cuba will be marked by questions of economic cooperation and infrastructure in the areas of education and health.

The President is also interested in learn about the upgrade of the Socialist economic model of island policy.

Just visit the Brazilian President to the island will come after the first Conference of the ruling Communist Party of Cuba (PCC, only) this weekend was devoted to review the methods of work and political cadres of the Organization to the process of economic reforms in the country.

Rousseff will also deal with the maximum Cuban authorities on the progress of the works of extension of the port of Mariel (West of Havana), considered the most important running currently in Cuba with funding from the American colossus.

In this project are associated Cuban and Brazilian companies with a total investment which will be around us $ 800 million, and according to the schedule your delivery is planned for the year 2013.

With Brazil economic relations have intensified in recent years, to become one of the main partners in the field of trade and investment, according to official sources.

In the five-year period 2006-2010 the commercial exchange between Brasilia and Havana recorded a growth of 30 percent, going from 376 million $ 488 million, according to official data.

Between January and November 2011 the flow of bilateral trade continued with a rising rate and reached 570 million dollars.