Santa Clara, 27 January (ACN) From the heart of British legislative power, Cuban scientist Dr Fidel Antonio Castro Smirnov asserted that national sovereignty constitutes ‘the very oxygen of a nation’ during a speech to the United Kingdom Parliament, where he outlined Cuba's achievements in science and international cooperation.
In exclusive statements to the Cuban News Agency (ACN) via WhatsApp, Castro Smirnov described his participation on Tuesday at the Palace of Westminster as a ‘mission of love.’
His speech to the Multiparty Parliamentary Group on Cuba focused the debate on the future, stating that Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro's legacy in science and ethics is not a debate about the past, but above all about the future.
The expert, who is on an academic tour of the United Kingdom at the invitation of the Campaign for Solidarity with Cuba (CSC), explained how the national commitment to research made it possible to tackle the pandemic with five vaccine candidates of its own.
‘We did it under financial siege,’ he stressed, contrasting the humanist logic of the Cuban Revolution.
Using concrete examples, he dismantled the extraterritorial effects of the US government's economic blockade of Cuba.
‘Does it make sense for a British bank to reject a transfer in pounds for paediatric medicines in Havana for fear of a fine in dollars?’ he asked rhetorically in front of the parliamentarians, generating a profound debate on the restrictions affecting the sovereignty of the European country.
As the ultimate symbol of cooperation, he highlighted the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM), which he described as a beautiful and humane creation, as its more than 32,000 graduates from 122 countries embody ‘the first Olympic medal of solidarity’ referred to by the Commander-in-Chief.
Faced with a turbulent world, he reaffirmed Cuba's international paradigm: ‘Doctors, not bombs; doctors, not smart weapons,’ quoting the historic leader to reject the euphemisms of modern warfare.
Cuba, he said, has an army of white coats trained to save lives in the most remote corners of the planet.
Castro Smirnov's agenda in the United Kingdom, which will run until Friday 30 January, includes a rigorous scientific programme with lectures at prestigious universities and meetings with British research groups, thus consolidating bridges of knowledge beyond the political sphere.
At the end of his presentation, he linked concepts of physics and diplomacy: ‘As a scientist, I know that entropy is a natural state, but building bridges is an act of human will.’
With this reflection, he advocated dialogue and cooperation as antidotes to conflict.
The scientist concluded by speaking on behalf of the younger generations, describing them as grateful and committed.
‘We carry this legacy in our hearts, in our blood, in our minds and in the windmills that remain to be knocked down,’ he told lawmakers.
Fidel Antonio Castro Smirnov, who is also the grandson of Fidel Castro Ruz, made his voice heard in Westminster on his own merits, as the bearer of a message of sovereignty, resistance and solidarity from his field of action, science.
His successful intervention in the British Parliament shows that, almost 100 years after the birth of the Commander-in-Chief and on the eve of José Martí's 173rd birthday, the principles of independence and dignity that they defended continue to generate debate and respect in the most emblematic forums at the global level.
Article cited from the Agencia Cubana de Noticias (ACN): https://www.acn.cu/mundo/castro-smirnov-en-reino-unido-la-soberania-es-e...