The Cuban International Contingent of Physicians specializing in disaster situations and serious epidemics called "Henry Reeve" aims to provide humanitarian-medical-health aid to populations in countries victims of natural disasters and epidemics, and to help their recovery. They are an example of humanism and altruism.
Many voices rise up in the world to support their work and apply for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for this contingent. In Greece, the initiative was officially taken on March 28, 2020 on a personal page of Velissarios Kossyvakis and another 30 pages on Facebook, which belong to him and the film distribution company he manages, New Star Art Cinema. The initial group involved friends and co-operators of Velissarios Kossyvakis, as well as his Cuban wife, Letisia Suarez Moreno.Among the first to have supported and participated in this project were Vaguelis Gonatás and several coordinators in the blogs/groups/pages he manages as a Greek Solidarity Network. From day one, there was a great response from people.
From the first month, the group had 13,500.00 members (not just likes, but members) which means that a person requests to be a member of the group and is accepted. According to the statistics they have gathered it appears that members show a strong participation in a percentage of more than 95%, women are 52% and men 48%. Participation is of all ages. There are about 900 members who are from 65 different countries (including 167 Cubans). At the end of September 20, there are 91,000 signatures.
This initiative is very important to show the reality of Cuba and the solidarity internationalism of its people. During its 15 years of founding, the Henry Reeve Contingent has been an example in this regard. It has been part of international efforts to increase health cooperation among nations. In this period, 71 medical brigades have been grouped to 45 in the confrontation with COVID-19, three in the face of the Ebola epidemic, two to combat the cholera epidemic and 20 in the face of natural disasters; of them eight specialized in floods, seven in earthquakes and five in hurricanes. The Contingent has developed 1 to 4 missions per year. Highlights are highlighted in the last five months of its effective action in the confrontation with the COVID-19 pandemic.
We consider this initiative of Cuba's friends to be an important action to show the truth about the internationalist and solidarity collaboration of Cuban health professionals, and to confront the campaigns of lies that seek to discredit this great humanitarian effort, of Cuba, a small great socialist country suffering from the unjust economic, commercial and financial blockade by the United States.
In this struggle for truth, sovereignty and dignity, the gestures and demonstrations of cooperation of Cuban health workers, and the solidarity of Cuba's friends in the world are essential.