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Posted: 21/11/2008 - 10:54 AM The delegation was coming through Chetumal. Awaiting them were Nurse Oneida Smith, Northern Health Regional Manager, and Nurse Tomasa Heredia, Deputy Health Manager, Corozal District. This gathering had taken place on the Corozal Hospital Compound, to be more specific in the building which was once the temporary office of the Health Department. While we were waiting for them to arrive, the doctors did several performances. They sang; some recited poems. There was one that they gave about a little boy, José Alejandro, twelve years old from Sierra Tres Suburb, Piar Municipal of the State of Bolivar, Venezuela. They say that his eyes got watery just to remember that tragic moment when a piece of dry branch got into his left eye with the force of a rooster peck, while he was helping his father in the cleaning up of a piece of land where they would plant corn. José Alejandro had lost the sight of his left eye. He belonged to a very poor family. An uncle of his was going to lend the parents the money because he said that, “The child was too young to stay blind; they must operate on him.” But it was not necessary: Some Cuban doctors organized the visit of the child to La Havana, where they operated him for traumatic cataract. The child didn’t talk much. But his features filled with light when he started talking about the land, there where they had planted guavas, avocados, mangos and plantain-bananas. There, where his grandfather worked. José Alejandro said, “I like the field to look pretty, I like the cattle, the color of the earth, the sky, the river…” His father, Ramón Melgar, went along with him to Cuba. Like this story of José Alejandro, there are thousands and thousands untold in different countries, including our Belize, where brigades of Cuban doctors come to the rescue of the less fortunate ones. There are those of my paisanos (countrymen) who say that there is no freedom in Cuba and that that is why many Cubans are running away from their homeland looking for a better life. I would say that those are the selfish ones. How come thousands and thousands of Cuban doctors come on a humane mission and go back home, ready for any other mission Comrade Fidel has for them on behalf of the human specie? Are they tied up? No. That’s the philosophy of socialism or communism - we work for each other in equality, not the wealth in a few hands and the majority to perish. But anyhow, this missive is dedicated to the Cuban ICAP delegation and the CCFC (Club of Cuban Friends of Corozal.) While we were keeping on waiting, the Cuban doctors of the “Ernesto Che Guevara” Brigade put on some Cuban popular music and they started to dance to entertain us. This enlightened my eyes with joy and remembrance, because I am familiar with their music. It took me to my golden years of youth in Acapulco, when I was then a dancer - days of nostalgia, days that shall never come back. We were served a nice apple soft drink and just after the show, there came into the gathering the abovementioned persons whom we were waiting for. At the same time, fourteen children from the village of Xaibe had taken their place to welcome the delegation with a Belizean Kriol cultural dance. Let me explain to our readers that this event was not one of those pompous ones of no human value. This was a warmly humble common people reunion, one which I enjoyed because there was no formality. After the children had done their performance, several persons got up to give thanks and spoke about how they were well received and treated in Cuba during their stay. They highlighted the Cuban social workers, nurses and doctors. They said that the Cubans showed more love to the Belizean sick than our own health personnel. The word “love” was mentioned on many occasions and they showed their appreciation in words to the delegation and the doctors of the “Ernesto Che Guevara” Brigade, to close the first part of the gathering before going to a convivio (Banquet); (No, no me quede, porque ya era un poco tarde para otra reunión que tenia pendiente, mil disculpas.) Mr. Manuel J. Rubido, Ambassador of Cuba in Belize, gave the closing remarks. In a humble way, he thanked the “Club of Cuban Friends of Corozal” for our presence. Amongst other things, he spoke about the exchange of students from both countries Belize/Cuba; the fifty years of economic and commercial blockade on Cuba from the USA; the contributions of 185 countries and 22 organizations and international agencies which are with Cuba against the USA blockade, which affects the economic and social life in Cuba. For instance, it is impossible to access the inputs of equipments for infant cardiovascular surgery and scanners, which are essential for modern oncology. Even American citizens who travel to Cuba are pursued with a fine or jailed, also the tourist agencies who promote such services. The government of the USA should explain why they consider our heart-ill children as their enemies. Five Cuban heroes went to the USA to obtain information about the plans of the terrorist organizations who have Miami City as their base of operations for many years. Included among them is the Cuban-American National Foundation (FNCA); the Council for the Liberty of Cuba (CLC), Brothers at Rescue, Democracy Movement, Alpha 66 and many others with known criminal trajectory. Within the terrorist activities there are numerous sabotages and aggressions against Cuba, causing thousands of deaths, injuries and great economic losses, contraband of weapons, drugs and persons. The terrorists made hundreds of plans to try to assassinate the Cuban president Fidel Castro, carrying out terrorist activities in the same USA territory and in third countries. From since 10 years ago these five young men are in prison, unjustly, and the people of Cuba, jointly with the friends of the world, we cry out for their liberty. 21st November 2008 (Cubaminrex- Embacuba Belice) |