Cuba and Venezuela celebrate 24th anniversary of signing of Comprehensive Health Agreement

Cuba and Venezuela present themselves as nations that have managed to strengthen their bond of cooperation over the years. Photo: Cubaperiodistas/ Archive.

Caracas, December 1 (Radio Habana Cuba) — This Saturday marked the 24th anniversary of the signing of the health cooperation agreement between Venezuela and Cuba, an initiative that has resulted in a notable improvement in the quality of life of many citizens, as Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro recalled.

According to President Maduro, humanism and professionalism have been the pillars of the performance of the health professionals who have participated in this agreement, which demonstrates the viability of guaranteeing access to quality medical care, even in the face of external pressures.

He also stressed the unprecedented success of bilateral collaboration, highlighting that, beyond the longevity of the agreement, other sociopolitical factors have contributed to the economic and cultural development of both nations.

Cuban-Venezuelan strategic cooperation has covered, for more than two decades, various areas: health, sports, education, communication, food, science and energy.

On November 30, 2000, Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez signed the agreement, paving the way for the first humanitarian flight that transported Venezuelans to Cuba to receive medical care.

Last July, representatives of both countries reviewed joint strategic plans to strengthen mutual support in the tourism and cultural sectors. It is worth noting that the Cuban Deputy Ministers of Culture and Tourism, respectively, participated in this meeting, held in Caracas.

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“A LONG TRADITION OF REGIME CHANGE”

Nov 27 (Belly of the Beast) Of course, the war on Cuba didn’t begin with Trump. The U.S. has attempted to replace the Cuban government through a variety of means since the ‘60s.

During one of the 1960 presidential debates, Richard Nixon explained that the goal of U.S. sanctions was regime change. See the clip HERE.

More than six decades later, the same failed strategy — embraced by Trump and Biden — is still in place.

But Cuba is particularly vulnerable now, battered by the economic effects of Covid, worldwide inflation and a string of natural disasters.

See our on-the-ground report about the most recent hurricanes to hit Cuba.

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Cuban official in Montevideo: Cuba is open to Uruguayan tourists 

Montevideo, Nov 30 (Prensa Latina) Cuba has much to offer Uruguayan tourists, the island’s tourism advisor for South America, José Antonio Aguilera, told tour operators here on Friday.

Aguilera was speaking at the headquarters of the Latin American Integration Association (Aladi), before representatives of companies from the Uruguayan Association of Travel Agencies, Cuban residents here linked to travel and executives from Cubana de Aviación, the Cuban Airlines, who particpated via online.

Cuba is a unique destination, by virtue of its geography, climate, history, culture, gastronomy and, above all, its people, emphasized Aguilera.

He expounded on the qualities of the main destinations in the Cuban archipelago, including the Varadero resort, whose beach was recognized this year as the second best on the planet, he said.

Havana is the Latin American capital of cocktails, he added, referring to another awarded Cuban produce.

He stressed that his country is the birthplace of son, an also famous for its rum, international events tourism and health tourism.

Aguilera mentioned airlines connecting Uruguay with his country, such as Latam, Copa, Avianca and the Bolivian Boa.

As a novelty, he announced the upcoming visit of a delegation from Cubana de Aviación, on an exploratory mission that could lead to reopening flights to South America.

The Cubana delegation is to meet with Uruguayan tour operators on December 6.

For her part, the Cuban consul, Yamila Herrera, explained that the electronic visa to Cuba active since July offers additional facilities.

We want many Uruguayans to travel to Cuba, said in closing remarks Cuban ambassador Jorge Martí, permanent representative of the island before Aladi and president of the Committee of Representatives of that integrative association.

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Los Ríos governor received Cuban ambassador to Chile

Los Ríos governor received Cuban ambassador to Chile

Havana, Nov 30 (Radio Habana Cuba) The governor of the Los Ríos region, Luis Cuvertino, received today the Cuban ambassador of Cuba, Mercedes Vicente, who is attending the national meeting of solidarity with her country, in the city of Valdivia.

At the meeting, the two discussed the historical ties between the two nations, dating back to the time when Chilean citizens participated in the Cuban wars of independence against Spanish colonialism.

The diplomat also recalled the friendship that existed between the president of the Popular Unity government, Salvador Allende, and the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro.

In a statement to the press, Cuvertino described the meeting as very pleasant and expressed that this visit will create a permanent platform for collaboration in various fields, including culture.

The choice of Valdivia as the venue for the meeting of the Solidarity Movement is significant, as Cuba sent its first medical brigade to Chile in 1960 to assist the victims of the 9.5 magnitude earthquake.

The political advisor and head of the foreign ministry, Raúl Mojena, and the first secretary, Rosario Rodríguez, were also present at the meeting. (Source: Prensa Latina)

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ELIÁN – 25 YEARS LATER

Nov 27 (Belly of the Beast) On Thanksgiving Day in 1999, five-year-old Elián González was found alone on an inner tube off the coast of Florida.

He’d left Cuba by boat with his mother, who didn’t survive the journey.

Elián soon became the center of an international custody battle between his relatives in Miami and his father in Cuba — a story that, to many, was emblematic of relations between the two countries.

Elián has given “only a handful of interviews since he was unwittingly thrust into the geopolitical spotlight as a boy,” PBS reported in 2023.

At a time when fear-mongering, hate-spewing rhetoric dominates political discourse in Miami, Elián’s message of forgiveness and hope stands in stark contrast.

“I know the U.S. people,” Elián told Liz. “I know they have a good heart and that it is worthwhile to continue fighting and appealing to them to help lift the sanctions currently imposed on our country.”

Watch the full interview HERE.

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President Díaz-Canel visits economic centers in Cienfuegos

Cienfuegos, Cuba, Nov 27 (Prensa Latina) Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel visited production centers in Lajas municipality, in Cienfuegos province, as part of regular visits he pays to the territories to assess their socioeconomic development.

According to the Presidency of the Republic, Díaz-Canel’s work system allows him to participate in constant exchange with the people, party and government leaders.

In Lajas, the first item on the agenda of the head of State was a meeting with farmer Luis Alberto Pérez, near his sugar cane fields.

Pérez, who previously worked in the pork industry, has worked in sugar cane fields over the past four year. He explained to the president that success lies in the day-to-day work, in doing things well.

The farmer was accompanied by six workers of his farm, where he has ventured to use byproducts and has reported yields of 90 tons per hectare.

Díaz-Canel was interested in the sugar harvest in Cienfuegos province, where three sugar cane mills will be grinding from December to March, although one of them, considered the most comprehensive in the country, has already started its operations.

After the meeting, the president visited the Ciudad Caracas Mill, which is practically ready to start up operations on December 4.

Díaz-Canel extolled the preparation done and insisted on the need for the sugar cane mills to generate electricity outside of the harvest campaign as well.

The president, who was accompanied by the secretary of Organization of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), Roberto Morales, and provincial authorities, toured the sugar mill, which has guaranteed its workforce, including 51 young people.

Another item on his agenda was a visit to the La Planta neighborhood, a formerly illegal settlement, where homes have been legalized, electricity has been supplied, communications services have been provided, and houses have been rehabilitated.

Díaz-Canel met with local residents about the need for popular participation and inquired about the state of basic services on the territory.

He referred to the harmony among neighbors and how it is demonstrated every day that despite the difficult economic situation, progress can be made in the well-being of the people.

Díaz-Canel also talked with citizens who were waiting for him in front of the municipal PCC headquarters about the impact of the US blockade and the heroism of the Cuban people.

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Cuba prepares for international event Decade of Afro-descendants

Havana, November 29 (Radio Habana Cuba) —  With the motto “Equality, Equity and Social Justice,” the International Conference Decade of Afro-descendants Cuba 2024 will be held from December 9th to the 13th.

The international conference will take place at the Havana Convention Center and other venues, the organizers reported at a press conference on Thursday.

The first two days will take place at the important meeting center, with panels oriented to the National Program against Racism and Racial Discrimination and its 12 subprograms, in which the achievements, challenges and perspectives that each of them faces will be addressed.

Prior to the inauguration, on December 8th, the Cuban Civil Society Forum will take place at the Varona Convention Center of the University of Havana, to discuss issues related to the agenda of the meeting.

The delegates to the International Conference on Afro-descendants will talk with community residents and enjoy musical pieces of genres such as rumba, jazz and son.

Other visits include the Literacy Museum, a primary school and a special education school, located in Ciudad Escolar Libertad, in addition to the Enrique José Varona University of Pedagogical Sciences and the Cintio Vitier Community Project, focused on the visual arts.

The participants will also visit the Quintín Bandera Cultural Center and the Museum of the Rebel Slave in the province of Matanzas, according to the organizers.

Music, meetings of thought, book presentations on Calle de Madera in the Historic Center of Havana, among other initiatives distinguish a contest that advocates for the protection of the rights of people of African descent, recognizing their contributions and the preservation of their rich cultural heritage.

[ SOURCE: PRENSA LATINA]

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Díaz-Canel chairs the Anti-Imperialist Tribune in support of Palestine

Sancti Spíritus, Cuba, Nov 29 (Prensa Latina) Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel chaired today in this central province of the country the Anti-Imperialist Tribune in defense of the cause of the Palestinian people, which was attended by thousands of Sancti Spíritus residents.

The president was accompanied by Roberto Morales, member of the Political Bureau and Secretary of Organization of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, and by the highest authorities of the Party and the Government in Sancti Spíritus.

Students, workers and the general public gathered this Friday at the Plaza de la Revolución Mayor General Serafín Sánchez Valdivia to denounce the genocide of the Israeli occupation army in the Palestinian territory since October 7, 2023.

The central words of the event were given by Abran Sánchez, first secretary of the Provincial Committee of the Union of Young Communists, who pointed out that “History will not forgive the indifferent” and described this occupation as ruthless.

“The Zionists have waged an endless war,” he said, adding that “of the more than 40,000 dead, the majority are women, children and the elderly,” and then stressed that nothing can justify what is happening in Gaza.

“The world condemns Israeli barbarity against the Palestinian people. For this Palestine of dreams, for this Palestine of dignity and decorum, for its children and women, for the generous blood of its children, all our solidarity,” he concluded.

Caroline García, a sixth grade student at the Serafín Sánchez Valdivia Primary School, and Sanad Abdulralhmam, a Master and PhD student in Agricultural Sciences, from the sister Republic of Yemen, took part in the activity.

Caroline called for “the birdsong to be heard, not the sound of bombs,” while Sanad said that “every wound and every woman or child martyred shakes us to the core and encourages us to continue defending the cause of the Palestinian people.”

On behalf of the workers from Sancti Spíritus, Maidenly Toledo, from the Sancti Spíritus Meat Company, said that “Justice cannot be delayed any longer. Let the world see us and listen to us until one day Palestine finally has peace.”

The Plaza de la Revolución was filled this day with patriotic music and poetry, such as the one entitled Enamorado de Palestina, performed by the quartet A su Tiempo: Palestina, mi amor, and the power of the verse of the improvised poets, accompanied by the Parranda Espirituana.

As a grand finale, the emblematic song Cuba, how beautiful Cuba is was heard.

The Anti-Imperialist Tribune took place on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, declared on December 2, 1977 by the United Nations General Assembly.

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U.S. solidarity group The People’s Forum raises money for urgent aid to Cuba

New York, November 29 (Radio Habana Cuba) — The U.S. solidarity group The People’s Forum is raising money for urgent aid to Cuba.

In a statement released in New York City, the U.S. group said:  

We’ve already raised over $61,000 for urgent humanitarian aid for Cuba!  But we still have more to go to meet our goal of $100,000.

Help us fill the plane with essential supplies, including generators and food!


*  Donate NOW at http://peoplesforum.org/cubarelief

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Mexican president asks Trump to end the blockade against Cuba

Mexico City, Nov 28 (Prensa Latina) Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said today that she proposed to the elected president of the United States, Donald Trump, to end the economic blockades against Cuba and Venezuela imposed by that northern country.

Referring to the conversation held yesterday with the politician at her usual press conference, the dignitary pointed out that these fences “make people suffer and cause a phenomenon like migration.”

As a result of this US policy, Cuba suffered losses of 5,056.8 million dollars from March 1, 2023 to February 29, 2024, according to official figures.

In six decades, the damage caused by the blockade, condemned every year by the vast majority of countries in the United Nations, exceeded 1.499 billion 710 million dollars, taking into account the behavior of the dollar against the value of gold in the international market.

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