A note published in Cubadebate highlights that the ceremony took place in the Palace of El Pardo in the city of Madrid and gathered among its participants the awardees with that status in 2018 and 2019.
 

Other deserving recipients of the Medal on this occasion were Maria Bethania, Martirio, Ruben Blades and Gilberto Gil, who along with the Cuban diva were, as the Spanish Ministry of Culture points out, recognized for the effort and courage of cultural professionals especially in such a difficult time for all.
 

During the ceremony, King Felipe V invited the audience not to forget the value of culture, its incalculable contribution to societies and what it meant to overcome the hardest months of the necessary confinement to stop the COVID-19.
 

The Empresa de Grabaciones y Ediciones Musicales (EGREM) also congratulated Portuondo through a message on the social network Twitter, which reads: Cuban culture is celebrating! Our Diva @OmaraPortuondo is decorated with the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts, presented by the King and Queen of Spain at the Royal House. From EGREM we convey to her all our respect, admiration and affection.
 

Omara Portuondo was born on October 29, 1930 in Havana and has received numerous awards inside and outside Cuba, including the Saint Bois City Hall Award in France, the Latin Recording Academy Award for Musical Excellence, and was named International Ambassador of the International Red Cross in 2004.
 

The Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts honors individuals and entities that have stood out in the field of artistic and cultural creation or have rendered outstanding services in the promotion, development or dissemination of art and culture or in the preservation of artistic heritag