With the same love with which they once arrived in the land of Bolivar to heal the sick, Cuban internationalist doctors support the legitimate right of this sister people to self-determination, and reaffirmed this solidarity as part of a Cuban national effort by signing a petition September 9, at the Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery in Havana.
Doctors, nurses, and support staff, among others, reaffirmed with their signatures their support for a letter sent by the Venezuelan people to United Nations Secretary General António Guterres, denouncing the U.S. economic, commercial, and financial blockade of the country, and the hostility of the Donald Trump administration.
Among them were several internationalist doctors who stated that providing their services in Venezuela was the maximum expression of love and solidarity from one people to another. For Mr. José Osorio, this experience was unforgettable, given the professional learning he acquired and the deepening of his human values.
“Seeing the two flags together (the Venezuelan and Cuban) remind me of my time at a Comprehensive Diagnostic Center there. I look at them today and think that never again will they be separated,” he added.
Nurse Bárbara Pérez Alderete stated that if it were necessary, she would not hesitate to return to Venezuela, an opinion shared by others who have had similar experiences, including Dr. Noemí Boris, who said she was happy to be able to convey her love and solidarity from the island.
SOLIDARITY FROM PINAR DEL RÍO
“With these signatures, we are not only demanding that Venezuela be left alone so that it can construct its future. We also reaffirm our willingness to continue helping this sister people in the fields of health, education, sports, and culture,” stated Odalis Garcés, one of the first in line in this province, to add their signature in support of the Bolivarian Chavista Revolution and the legitimate government of Nicolás Maduro. Along with her, thousands of Pinar del Río residents from all sectors of society, at their work places and schools, backed Venezuela’s demand that aggression against the country cease.
“Cubans know very well what it means to live with the empire’s harassment; we’ve suffered it for 60 years, everything from economic war and sabotage, to the armed invasion at Playa Girón (Bay of Pigs). This is exactly what they have been doing to the Bolivarian Revolution since it came to power, and began to transform the lives of the poor,” agreed Carlos Rodríguez, a member of the Cuban Federation of Workers (CTC) in Vueltabajo.
Rubén Lloga, secretary general of the CTC in Pinar del Río, reported that signatures were collected in more than 700 workplaces and schools across the province. He estimated that, in all, some 90,000 persons had the opportunity to sign, among them 10,000 men and women working in Public Health, a sector that has maintained strong ties with the Bolivarian nation.
Dr. Martín Martínez believes that this great army of white lab coats has a duty to denounce attacks on the sister nation. Having firsthand experience in Cuba’s collaboration there, he insists, “We will continue maintaining this solidarity and humanitarian work, to save lives and fight disease. Our hearts are with Venezuela!”
