Harare, December 1, 2025 – Members of the Cuban Medical Brigade in Zimbabwe, who have participated in several internationalist missions, were honored with high-level awards in a solemn and moving ceremony at the Cuban Embassy in Harare, on the occasion of Latin American Medicine Day.
In the presentation of these awards, the first time they have been given abroad, a doctor received the 50th Anniversary Seal of the National Union of Health Workers from Ambassador Susellys Pérez Mesa, in recognition of her outstanding and uninterrupted service spanning five decades.
The Manuel Piti Fajardo Rivero Distinction was awarded to six specialists for 20 and 25 years of service, while three other professionals from the XIV Medical Brigade in Zimbabwe, whose work is linked to research and science, received the Juan Tomas Roig Medal, presented by the head of the medical contingent, Dr. María Eugenia García.
Receiving this recognition is a commitment to continue working with firmness and dedication; it is a symbol of dedication to the profession and to the health of the Cuban people and many other nations, stated Dr. Rosa María Fernández, recipient of the 50 Years of Service Seal, speaking on behalf of the honorees.
I can assure you, without fear of being wrong, that this is a renewal of our commitment to the Homeland, a reaffirmation of principles, and the certainty that we will never let you down, Fernández affirmed before the attendees, among them the Ambassadors of Russia, Angola, and the United Nations Development Programme.
These awards symbolize the effort of many years, but also the affection of so many who have saved lives in different countries and of their compatriots who admire them with justifiable pride, the Ambassador concluded in her keynote address at the moving ceremony.
Pérez Mesa recalled the words of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro at the establishment of the Henry Reeve Contingent in 2005, affirming that “graduating as a doctor opens the doors to a long road that leads to the noblest activity a human being can do for others.” In 2026, the Head of Mission stated, it will be 40 years since the beginning of Cuba's collaboration with Zimbabwe, with thousands of consultations, surgical procedures, forensic medicine services, and electromedical procedures, to the astonishment of many due to their recognized high impact.
Let us celebrate this well-deserved recognition and renew our commitment to the Homeland and the Revolution, to which we owe everything and which, like an untouchable mother, we will honor and cherish, the Ambassador concluded. Patriotic music and a performance by a Zimbabwean saxophonist enlivened the evening, which was attended by members of the island's diplomatic mission in the African nation.
Afterwards, the attendees visited the monument to Fidel Castro on the street that does not bear his name, to pay tribute to him on the ninth anniversary of the physical disappearance of the Leader of the Cuban Revolution.