In his speech to the 17 heads of State and Government of the region, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez urged to overcome the challenge of building prosperous, inclusive and sustainable societies, an idea shared by participating members.

To achieve it -he added- it is necessary to articulate a new order to guarantee the rights, needs and aspirations of developing countries and to eliminate the existing asymmetries in world finances and trade which are the result of centuries of exploitation and looting.

He mentioned that despite adverse economic circumstances, countries can attain wide participation of its citizens in political and social life, as Cuba shows in health and education, services which are universal and free since the triumph of the revolution.

The Minister highlighted that despite being a small blockaded island, Cuba contributed over 50 years 600,000 health professionals to fight in 164 countries, very often in outlying regions, diseases like Ebola in Africa, blindness in Latin America and cholera in Haiti.

Those doctors and health technicians have also worked to save and cure people hit by 26 major natural disasters in several countries.

The FM put as an example that in the case of Brazil 20,000 Cuban doctors treated over the past five years 113 million patients, most of them women, and covered 700 municipalities which had never had health services before.

His reference has coincided with the decision of the Cuban Health Ministry of suspending the participation of Cuban professionals in the More Doctors for Brazil Program following harsh questioning and threatening remarks by president-elect Jair Bolsonaro.

Rodriguez conveyed to attending dignitaries Havana’s gratitude for their support at the UN General Assembly to demand from Washington to lift the economic, trade and financial blockade that the current administration has hardened.

On this issue, the Ibero American Summit issued a special statement ratifying the stance of member States with respect to Washington’s hostile policy.

Upon his arrival in Guatemala, the Cuban FM held a meeting with the team of Cuban doctors working in this Central American country for over 20 years, particularly in outlying areas.

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