Brussels, 23 March 2020
Norma M. Goicochea Estenoz
Embajadora de Cuba
Av. Brugmann 80, 1190 Brussels
Dear Ambassador,
Querida Norma,
As already expressed publicly through social networks, we would also like to thank formally Cuba
and its people for their help in these difficult and trying days.
We were deeply moved seeing the brigade of Cuban doctors and nurses who arrived in Lombardy.
Their presence in the hardest-hit region of our Country is a significant and tangible sign of the longlasting
friendship between the Italian and the Cuban peoples. This is exactly the reason why we have
established the Group of friendship and solidarity with the Cuban people here at the European
Parliament: to show and never forget the bonding of the Cuban people with Europe and vice-versa.
The knowledge and the courage of these highly-specialised doctors and nurses are an invaluable help
in the containment and eradication of the virus, as we all know that the Cuban healthcare system is
among the best in the world. The words spoken by doctor Carlos Ricardo Pérez Diaz, patria para
nosotros es humanidad, will not be easily forgotten in Italy; they also show what we tried to tell the
rest of the world during these weeks: this disease, as all diseases, is not the problem of a single
country, but of the whole world. Diseases do not see borders. Only together we will be able to fight
the COVID-19 effectively and definitely. The Cuban people has demonstrated a true understanding
of this and we welcome and thank you all for your goodwill and your commitment.
We are looking forward to resuming our ordinary work with renewed vigour. In the meantime, please
accept this as a token of our gratitude.
Pina Picierno, MEP
Massimiliano Smeriglio, MEP
Giuseppe Ferrandino, MEP
Elisabetta Gualmini, MEP
Brando Benifei, MEP
Pierfrancesco Majorino, MEP
Andrea Cozzolino, MEP
Paolo De Castro, MEP
Pietro Bartolo, MEP
Patrizia Toia, MEP
Franco Roberti, MEP
Alessandra Moretti, MEP
Giuliano Pisapia, MEP
Irene Tinagli, MEP