The government announced that Minister Eduardo Latorre will head an official committee that will accompany Castro during his extended visit of state, from 22 to 24 August. Other members of the committee are Danilo Medina, secretary of the Presidency; Temistocles Montás, Technical secretary of the Presidency; Miguel Cocco, director of customs; Euclides Gutiérrez, Superintendent of Insurance; Minou Tavarez Mirabal, Deputy Minister of Foreign Relations and the Consul General of the DR in Havana, Cuba, Grecia Fiordaliza Pichardo. While the Caribbean Summit will end on Saturday, 22 August, Castro will stay on for a state visit. During his extended visit, he is expected to visit Baní, some 50 kilometers west of Santo Domingo, and the birthplace of General Máximo Gómez who fought at the side of Cuban Liberator José Martí for the independence of Cuba from Spain in the 19th century. He is expected to also visit Monte Cristi, on the northwest of the DR, where the Manifiesto de Monte Cristi was signed. In the document signed in 1891, the Máximo Gómez accepted to join Martí in the Cuban independence war. President Leonel Fernández announced that the Cuban statesman will be honored with the highest decoration awarded by the Dominican state, the Orden del Mérito de Duarte, Sánchez y Mella, Gran Cruz Plaza de Oro. The Listín Diario informed that the Cuban mission will discuss the creation of a common market for the exchange of goods, services. Commerce between the DR and Cuba. The DR imports cement, pharmaceuticals, steel, marble from Cuba and exports fertilizers, paints, oils, furniture and equipment for hotels.
