Cuba calls for an end to the instigation to violence against Cuban health cooperation workers in Bolivia
Declaration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba
During the last few hours, several acting authorities in the Pluri-national State of Bolivia have disseminated the idea that Cuban cooperation workers have been encouraging the protest demonstrations taking place in Bolivia. A similar approach has been replicated in social networks through accounts of doubtful origin and fake profiles that are instigating violence against the Cuban health staff.
In these circumstances, on November 13, four members of the Cuban Medical Brigade were arrested by the police in El Alto while they were on their way to their place of residence carrying the money they had withdrawn from a bank to cover for the basic needs and house rent of the 107 members of the Cuban Medical Brigade in that region.
The arrest was carried out under the slanderous allegation that the money was being used to finance the protests. Law enforcement authorities and officials from the Public Prosecutor’s Office visited the headquarters of the Cuban Medical Brigade in El Alto and La Paz and after checking all documents, payrolls and bank data were able to corroborate that the amount of money coincided with the sum that was regularly withdrawn from the bank every month.
The four Cuban cooperation workers who were arrested are:
• Amparo Lourdes García Buchaca, Bachelor of Science in Electro-medicine. In Cuba she worked at the Provincial Electro-medicine Center of the province of Cienfuegos before she left for Bolivia to work in March this year.
• Idalberto Delgado Baró, Bachelor of Science in Economics, who worked at the Electro-medicine Center of the Special Municipality of Isle of Youth before he left for Bolivia to work in March this year.
• Ramón Emilio Álvarez Cepero, Specialist in Intensive Care and Endocrinology, who worked in Cuba at the General Hospital ‘General Gustavo Aldereguía’ of the province of Cienfuegos before he left for Bolivia to work in July of 2017.
• Alexander Torres Enríquez, Specialist in General Comprehensive Medicine, who worked in Cuba at the Polyclinic ‘Carlos Verdugo’ in the province of Matanzas, before he left for Bolivia to work on February 3, 2019.
Permanent contact has been maintained with these Cuban cooperation workers through the Cuban embassy in La Paz and the headship of the Cuban Medical Brigade.
The four Cuban cooperation workers have a recognized record of achievements in their respective occupational profiles, and like all others who are working in Bolivia, have been strictly and rigorously abiding by their humanitarian and cooperative work, which was the reason for which they traveled to that country, under the agreements signed between both governments.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejects the false allegations that these comrades were encouraging or financing the protest demonstrations based on absolutely unfounded and deliberate lies.
Under the aforementioned circumstances, a decision has been made to immediately recall all workers to Cuba.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs demands the immediate release of the cooperation workers who have been arrested and call for the Bolivian authorities to guarantee the physical integrity of each and every one of all the Cuban cooperation workers, in accordance with the responsibilities entered into by the State of Bolivia with regards to the security and protection of all Cuban workers by virtue of the agreements signed between both governments.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba calls upon the Bolivian authorities to stop the exacerbation of irresponsible anti-Cuban, hatred and disparaging expressions instigating violence against Cuban cooperation workers, who have offered their contribution in solidarity with the brother people of Bolivia. The millions of Bolivians, who have received the altruistic assistance of the hundreds of Cuban doctors, know only too well that lies will not be able to hide the commendable contribution made and the lofty purpose pursued by our health professionals.
(Cubaminrex)