This July 26th is the opportunity to say Yes to Cuba, assured tres player Pancho Amat, one of the artists who will participate in the event for National Rebellion Day this Sunday in Pinar del Río.

“We are no longer talking about a political stance, but about independence; and this is the moment to say yes to the independence of the nation,” added the 2010 National Music Award winner in exclusive statements to the Cuban News Agency.

“I have participated in events of this kind several times, but now it carries a different relevance due to the country's situation; furthermore, it is a duty and I feel honored that they counted on me,” he noted.

July 26th was a new light that was lit in the pages of Cuban history and contributed to the independence and sovereignty of the Republic, said the musician, who will perform on his tres at the Revolution Square in the city of Vueltabajo.

“My father was a charcoal maker from Güira de Melena and I used to help him sell charcoal; I came of age perhaps in the last five-year period before 1959 and I realized the intention of the Cuban Revolution, which could have been put more into practice were it not for the economic war declared by the United States,” he highlighted.

“And if there is one thing we have to thank the Revolution for, as a large part of the world thanks it for, it is the fact that Cubans can say: I am sovereign; and declaring yourself a sovereign country 90 miles from the United States is an act of national identity,” he mentioned.

“However, history has shown that anything that stands against imperial hegemony causes offense; and we have the right to choose our own path,” he emphasized.

“We are not enemies of the United States, merely neighbors; I myself have a lot of friends there, I have toured there seven times and the American people have treated me with great affection and respect,” asserted Amat, who will be part of a quartet performing during the main event commemorating the Moncada exploit.