Cuban Doctors leave for affected areas of Bolivia

SANTA CRUZ, BOLIVIA, February 3 (PL).— Members of the Cuban medical brigade who have gone to Bolivia to help the victims of the heavy rains left today for the affected areas to initiate their labors.

The leader of the group Daniel Posadas, informed Prensa Latina that 140 professionals are to be distributed in a total of 47 towns in Santa Cruz province.

At least two doctors will go to each of the communities and larger groups have been formed for more populated areas.

Each brigadista will take two backpacks with 13 kilograms of medicines and work materials, he explained, while highlighting the warm welcome they have received from the Bolivians.

The Cuban professionals arrived yesterday in this city in eastern Bolivia, with Luis Felipe Vázquez, the Cuban ambassador to Bolivia, and were received by María Luisa Ramos, deputy minister of International Economic Relations, and Santa Cruz City Councilor Oswaldo Pérez from the governing Movement Toward Socialism (MAS).

Subsequently the ambassador met with President Evo Morales and handed him a donation from the Cuban government of $100,000 in cash.

With emotion, the head of state thanked President Fidel Castro and the people of Cuba and Rubén Costas, the prefect of Santa Cruz, affirmed that he was very touched by the help and asked the diplomat to transmit thanks from the people of Santa Cruz to his government.

During the welcome event for the doctors at Santa Cruz airport, Peredo, younger brother of the legendary guerrillas Inti and Coco, combatants in Comandante Ernesto Che Guevara’s guerrilla army, expressed his thanks for the Cuban solidarity in his quality as “Bolivariano and Guevariano.”

For his part, Ambassador Vázquez noted that the Cuban doctors have a wide experience due to having worked in Pakistan, Venezuela, Guatemala, El Salvador, Haiti and other countries, and have brought 20 mobile hospitals ready for installation wherever they are needed.