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🇨🇺 Cuba /Conflict & Security

Girón is fought today in every health institution and every signature

From Granma · (21h ago) Spanish Critical tone

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Healthcare workers in Cuba are signing an initiative to defend the nation's sovereignty, framing their daily work as an act of resistance against the US economic blockade.
  • Despite resource shortages caused by the blockade, hospitals like Manuel Ascunce are performing thousands of surgeries and consultations, demonstrating resilience.
  • Medical professionals, particularly younger ones, express determination to overcome challenges, denouncing the intensified US aggression while affirming their commitment to patients and the Revolution.

In Cuba, the fight for our nation's sovereignty is waged not only on political stages but also within the very walls of our healthcare institutions. The initiative by the María Curie Oncology Hospital and the Manuel Ascunce Domenech Provincial Teaching Hospital to sign in defense of the homeland is a powerful testament to this reality. It reflects President Díaz-Canel's call for a unified front, both domestically and internationally, to reveal the truth about Cuba amidst external pressures. This act is more than symbolic; it is a daily affirmation of resistance, embodied by doctors, nurses, and technicians who, despite the crippling effects of the US economic blockade, ensure no patient is left without care.

Es un gran honor estar dando mi firma por la Patria – reafirmando nuestra posición a favor de la Revolución Cubana.

— Luis Emilio Ramírez GuerraExpressing the significance of signing the initiative for a young leader.

We at Granma view this as a profound demonstration of resilience. The numbers speak for themselves: over 3,000 surgeries and 20,000 consultations in just one quarter at the Manuel Ascunce hospital, all while facing shortages of essential medicines and anesthetics due to the 'siege.' This is the reality on the ground – a constant search for alternatives and innovative protocols to provide treatment. Luis Emilio Ramírez Guerra, a young leader at the Oncology Hospital, articulated this sentiment powerfully, calling the act a 'double burden: denunciation and hope.' He highlighted how the blockade directly impacts vulnerable patients by limiting access to costly chemotherapy drugs, yet he affirmed the strength and future of Cuba lie in its youth, dedicated to improving patient care.

Esta firma es poner de manifiesto el principio de la soberanía, de la independencia, de dejar bien claro cuál es la posición nuestra.

— Sandra Castañeda BasultoExplaining the collective sentiment behind the signature.

Sandra Castañeda Basulto, a nurse with 36 years of service, echoed this collective feeling, stating the signature is a declaration of sovereignty and independence. Dr. Yaneli Alfonso Naranjo, Deputy Director of Medical Assistance at the Oncology Hospital, directly denounced the intensified US aggression, asserting that fear does not paralyze them. This unwavering stance, inspired by leaders like Fidel and Raúl, is characteristic of the Cuban spirit. From our perspective, this story is uniquely Cuban: it showcases how a nation, under intense external pressure, finds strength in its people's commitment to essential services and national principles. While international media might focus on the blockade's impact, they often miss the profound sense of purpose and defiance that drives our healthcare professionals to not only save lives but to do so as an act of patriotic resistance.

El Gobierno de Estados Unidos ha intensificado las agresiones, pero no nos vamos a amedrentar; no tenemos miedo y estamos todos firmes, como nos enseñaron Fidel y Raúl.

— Yaneli Alfonso NaranjoDenouncing US aggression and affirming resolve.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Granma in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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