HAVANA, Cuba, Jan 26 (acn) Nine out of 120 works of several world-famous plastic artists were donated to Cuba by a philanthropist and friend of the island, Gilbert Brownstone.

The handing over of the nine pieces took place on Monday night at the Fine Arts Museum in the Cuban capital in the presence of important figures of Cuban culture and the State.

During the ceremony, Ricardo Alarcon, President of the Cuban National Assembly (Parliament) highlighted the value of the works and the significance of exhibiting them in the country’s main institutions for artistic promotion.

For his part, Brownstone said that he decided to donate these pieces to Cuba motivated by the bonds of friendship that tie him to the Caribbean island, its people and the Cuban Revolution, which he has always felt deeply attracted to.

“The true meaning of friendship is sacrifice. That is why I dedicate this donation to the five Cuban antiterrorist fighters who remain imprisoned in the United States,” Brownstone stressed.

Fernando Gonzalez, Gerardo Hernandez, Antonio Guerrero, Ramon Labañino and Rene Gonzalez – internationally known as the Cuban Five – were tried and condemned to harsh sentences after a biased and fraudulent trial in Miami, where they were arrested in 1998 for monitoring extremist anti-Cuba groups in South Florida that were planning and carrying out terrorist actions against the Caribbean nation.

Meanwhile, Culture Minister Abel Prieto described Brownstone’s gesture as very generous and presented him with the Friendship Medal granted by the Cuban Friendship Institute (ICAP).

“This donation significantly improves the Cuban collection of the period of the avant-garde with exceptional works from these men and women who founded the art of the 20th century,” he noted.

For his part, Ruben del Valle, President of the National Council of Plastic Arts, thanked Brownstone for the donation and added that these pieces will be taken care of will zeal and pride.

The donation consists of etchings and paintings by renowned artists such as Marcel Duchamp, André Masson, Juan Miró, Roy Lichstein, Andy Warhol, Edouard Vuillar, Georges Rovalt, Camile Pisarro and Pablo Picasso.