PARLATINO: A New Era Opens in Cuba

It could not be a better coincidence: the Latin American Parliament is holding the first meetings of this new period in Cuba in a moment in which both are undergoing overhauling processes: Cuba has just been removed from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism, in which it should have never been included and now all it needs is the lift of the unjust economic and financial blockade the United States maintains against Cuba.

This was said by Mexican senator Blanca Alcalá, chairman of the regional organization, in the opening of the working sessions of the commissions of health, equity, gender, childhood and youth which session Friday and Saturday in the National Hotel.

Member of the Politburo and Chairman of the People´s Power Assembly Esteban Lazo Hernández, stressed the importance of these sessions taking place in Havana in the year of the 50th anniversary of the regional body in which these commissions discuss topics that are priority to the Cuban government.

“Our Assembly gives special importance to this Latin American organization for the role it plays in the region and because its principles are priority in the Cuban political agenda,” said Lazo, who received from Blanca Alcalá the Conmemorative Medal for the 50 years of Parlatino, together with Ana Mari Machado, deputy chairman of the Assembly.

The Cuban struggle for technological sovereingty has developed projects with a high social impact in its attempt to reach the primary health care level instead of focusing on exclusive health care. On this subject, Dr. Mitchel Valdés, director of the Center of Neurosciences of Cuba spoke to the Parliament members during a tour of the center and described the researchers developed there with state-of-the-art technology.

Miriam Portuondo, official of the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP), spoke about the survey on disability conducted by Cuba in six countries member of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of the Americas (ALBA).