“Given the abduction of Cuban doctors Assel Herrera and Landy Rodríguez in Kenya, I have maintained systematic communication with that country’s Minister of Health, who reiterated that his government continues efforts to secure the safe return of our doctors,” tweeted Cuban Minister of Public Health José Ángel Portal Miranda, who along with a government work group is following the rescue work.

It was also reported that other members of the medical brigade in Kenya are safe and taking extra security precautions, especially in regions bordering Somalia, including moving to different residences, evacuation from some areas, additional security personnel, and maintaining direct lines of communication with families in Cuba. Collaboration also continues at the governmental level and with the Kenyan national police, with which Cuban authorities have discussed the investigation.

“We have direct communication with the head of the Cuban Medical Mission in Kenya, who reports that our remaining health collaborators in that country are safe. We keep family members informed in Cuba,” Minister Portal Miranda stated.

Patients of Assel Herrera and Landy Rodríguez in Kenya, upon hearing the news of the abduction, have expressed their concern and prayers in gestures of gratitude to these two doctors who came to the region despite very challenging material conditions.

Messages of support, solidarity, and hope have arrived from all corners of the globe where Cubans are completing cooperative missions.

(Source: Granma)

Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla likewise tweeted, “I held a telephone conversation with the Kenyan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mónica Juma. We discussed the abduction of the two Cuban doctors and actions being taken by the government of this country given the unfortunate incident.”
On both of these Twitter accounts, it was made clear that other Cuban doctors are safe and fully informed of every step being taken to rescue their two colleagues.

Assel Herrera Correa is a specialist in Comprehensive General medicine from the province of Las Tunas and Landy Rodríguez Hernández, from Villa Clara, is a surgeon.

A communiqué released April 12 by the Ministry of Public Health stated that channels of communication were immediately established with authorities in Kenya to address the situation, and family members here are being kept informed.

Landy’s mother, Martha Hernández, told Granma, “I have full confidence that sooner than later, my son will return to the heart of his family. The Revolution never abandons one of its children, and this time, it will be the same.”

Despite the overwhelming pain, Martha insisted that solidarity, in Cuba and around the world, supporting the doctors’ freedom is key to their safe return.

She said that, since she heard the news, Party, government and Public Health authorities in the municipality of Placetas and on the provincial level, have kept her informed of every detail.

Assel’s family in Las Tunas is also receiving continuous support and all information available is being provided them.

In a statement to Granma, Grégory Antonio Pérez Héctor, deputy director of Public Health in the province explained that, upon receiving the news, a commission was immediately created, first to visit the home of his daughter, a high school student in the provincial capital, and then his parents in the community of Delicias.

“We have stayed in permanent contact with them, and not only on the part of Health, but political and government authorities, as well. Saturday, his parents were visited by Public Health officials who stayed with them most of the afternoon, explaining everything the country is doing to secure the return of their son. As elderly persons in poor health, they have been assigned the continuous support of a doctor, a nurse, and psychologist.”
Ruciel Tamayo Pérez, head of the clinic where Assel worked, told Granma that every day the administrator on duty visits the home of his daughter, who lives nearby.

“His daughter is finishing twelfth grade and tells us that she wants to be a doctor like her father. We have assured her that our government never abandons anyone.”

During the dawn hours today, reported was the kidnapping of two Cuban health care collaborators offering their services in the county of Mandera in the Republic of Kenya. The collaborators are Assel Herrera Correa, Comprehensive General Medicine specialist from the province of Las Tunas, and Landy Rodríguez Hernández, surgical specialist from the province of Villa Clara.

Channels of communication were immediately established with authorities in Kenya to address the situation, and family members here are being kept informed.

A government working group has also been established to follow this sensitive development.

The “army of white coats” features doctors specializing in various fields who will be supporting the work of Kenya’s healthcare institutions throughout the country.

The group was received at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by Cuban Ambassador to Kenya, Ernesto Gómez Díaz; First Deputy Minister of Health, Rashid Aman; and Governor of Kisumu, Anyang Nyong’o; in addition to officials and representatives from Kenya’s ministry of Health, and Foreign Affairs.

Cuba and Kenya established diplomatic relations on October 19, 1995. In 2002, the island opened its embassy in the African nation, while the Kenyan diplomatic headquarters was inaugurated in Havana in March of this year during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s official visit to the island.

(With information from Cubaminrex)

In an atmosphere of cordiality, the two leaders agreed on emphasizing the relations of friendship that exist between their countries and their intention to strengthen political ties and cooperation. They likewise expressed their mutual satisfaction with the opening of a Kenyan embassy in Havana and discussed issues on the international agenda.

Raúl thanked the government of Kenya for the help offered to support recovery efforts in the wake of damage caused by Hurricane Irma.

Accompanying the distinguished guest were Monica K. Juma, minister of Foreign Relations and International Trade; Rashid Achesa Mohamud, minister of Sports and Culture; as well as the Kenyan interim chargé de affaires in Havana, Anthony Mushiry; and Raphael Tuju, secretary general of the Jubileo Party.

On the Cuban side, also participating were Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz, and Abel Prieto Jiménez – ministers of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Investment, and Culture, respectively – as well as ambassador Ernesto Gómez Díaz.

(Granma)

With the opening of the Kenyan Embassy in the Cuban capital, set to take place this Friday March 16, there will now be 22 nations from Sub-Saharan Africa with diplomatic missions in the country, according to information by the Cuban Foreign Ministry.

Although African countries have embassies located throughout the region, there are less than a dozen missions in bigger and economically stronger nations on our continent, like Mexico and Brazil.

Meanwhile, an important event occurred in April last year with the opening of the Embassy of the Republic of the Seychelles in Havana, the island’s first in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Attending the inauguration was the country’s President Danny Faure, who studied Political Science in Cuba.
In addition to Africa’s roots in Cuban society, culture and history, the 1959 Revolution also inspired and supported anti-colonial struggles on the continent.

Cuban soldiers for example, gave their lives to help several African countries secure their freedom, while tens of thousands of doctors, athletes, and teachers have contributed, and continue contributing, to the social and economic development of these nations.

In addition to the vast number of young Africans currently studying on the island, Cuba has also trained thousands of students from that continent who now hold important and even senior political positions in their countries of origin.

(Granma)

The inauguration of the diplomatic headquarters in this capital will be held next Friday, in the context of the official visit to the island of the Kenyan president, Uhuru Kenyatta, scheduled from Wednesday to Saturday.

Nairobi and Havana have expressed their willingness to expand the ties established in 1995, which have solidarity as their characteristic, according to the parties.

According to data published here, 60 Kenyans graduated in the Caribbean country until the 2015-2016 academic year, while five currently study at the Latin American School of Medicine.

Cuba has had the support of Kenya in forums of the African Union and the United Nations in its demand to lift the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States for more than half a century.

Regarding the visit of Kenyatta, spokesman Manoah Esipisu highlighted the ‘special historical relations of Cuba with Kenya and with Africa’.

Cuba began its ties with the African liberation movements in the 1960s, and the Cuban revolution was a great inspiration, particularly during the struggles on the continent against colonialism and apartheid, he warned in Nairobi.

Esipisu pointed out that the president’s trip will boost bilateral relations in areas of mutual benefit, among which he mentioned the public health.

According to the program of the visit, Kenyatta will pay homage in this capital to the national hero of Cuba, José Martí, and to the African heroes, and will hold official talks with high host authorities.

On Friday he will participate in the inauguration of the embassy and on Saturday he will complete his stay in the Caribbean nation.

(Prensa Latina)

According to the program of the official visit, the President, aged 56, will arrive in this capital on Wednesday and will leave it on Saturday after fulfilling a broad agenda.

On Thursday, Kenyatta will pay tribute to Cuba’s National Hero, Jose Marti, and the African heroes, and will hold official talks with high-ranking authorities.

The Kenya embassy will be inaugurated on Friday.

(Prensa Latina)

According to a press release, the two nations signed the document at the World Health Organization’s headquarters in Geneva, as part of Cuban Public Health Minister Dr. Roberto Morales’ work agenda during the WHO’s 70th World Assembly taking place through May 31.

The Cuban official also held meetings with his counterparts from India and Mauritania, as well as with the Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Carissa Etienne, during which they discussed issues such as health collaboration, human resource training and Cuban medical services.

Also taking place May 24 was the 10th Meeting of Health Ministers from the Non-Aligned Movement, led by the bloc’s President pro-tempore Venezuela.

Speaking during the event, Dr. Roberto Morales highlighted the importance of global health cooperation toward achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, to which all members states should be committed, he noted.

The Cuban official also emphasized how the island’s human resource training has contributed to strengthening health systems in various countries, noting that 34,216 sector professionals from 135 nations have graduated from Cuba since 1959.

He also reiterated the island’s support for Venezuela as President pro tempore of the Non-aligned Movement, as well as its solidarity with the nation’s government and people; suffering both domestic and foreign aggression.

(Prensa Latina)