Cuban diplomat praises NZ
Mario Alzugaray came to New Zealand expecting the country to closely mirror its British motherland.
Instead the Cuban ambassador has been surprised by Kiwis’ unique character and selfpossessed independence. He believes they are qualities that New Zealanders and Cubans share despite their wildly different history, geography and cultures.
‘‘We both have a big component of immigrants who had to develop their own sense of nationality.’’
Visiting Nelson on invitation from the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Alzugaray is one year into his role at the Cuban Embassy in Wellington. He said he came here from diplomatic postings in China to study our model for social and economic development.
‘‘It’s not something we can apply in Cuba but there’s a lot we can learn, especially from agriculture ... What you have done here with 4.5 million people is amazing.’’
Alzugaray went on to praise New Zealand’s care for the environment, laid-back lifestyle, kind treatment of immigrants, the role its women play in public life and its ‘‘proactive’’ tourism industry.
American president Barack Obama’s will to end a 56-year-long embargo had allowed Cuba to ‘‘ride the crest of the wave’’, contributing to a 70 per cent year-onyear rise in Kiwi tourists to the nation, he said.