“Stand for Humanity”: Coalition Rallies for Reinstatement of Cuban Medical Brigade
By: Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News|
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — The streets of the capital were filled with a different kind of protest this past weekend as a diverse group of civil society organizations, trade unions, and veteran political figures joined forces to demand the return of the Cuban Medical Brigade. Organized by the Coalition for Solidarity with Cuba, the rally comes at a time when Guyana’s public health sector is grappling with significant staffing shortages following the expiration of the Brigade’s long-standing contract.
The event, which concluded with a film screening at the Guerrilla Nano-brewery on Charlotte Street, framed the medical partnership not just as a service agreement, but as a foundational pillar of Caribbean unity and human dignity.
A Unified Front for Public Health
The rally saw an unprecedented alliance of local advocacy groups, all highlighting the void left by the departure of the Cuban specialists.
- Broad Support: Organizations including the Guyana Trades Union Congress (TUC), Red Thread, the National Farmers’ Organization, and the Haiti Support Group of Guyana collectively urged the Ali-led administration to prioritize health over politics.
- Preserving Education: Beyond the immediate return of doctors, the coalition is fighting to preserve the educational scholarships that allow Guyanese students to pursue medical degrees in Cuba—a program that has produced thousands of local doctors over the last four decades.
Voices of Resistance: Perreira, Greene, and Burnham
The rally featured powerful testimonies from some of Guyana’s most senior and emerging voices, each linking the Cuban mission to Guyana’s own national development.
- Humanity First: Gerald Perreira, leader of the Organization for the Victory of the People (OVP), reminded the crowd that supporting Cuba is a moral imperative. “Standing with Cuba is synonymous with standing for humanity and human dignity,” he declared.
- A Historical Debt: Former Prime Minister and Mayor, Elder Hamilton Greene, reflected on the “generosity of the Cuban people,” noting that the Brigade has been instrumental in saving lives in Guyana’s most remote regions where local staffing remains a challenge.
- Youth & Integrity: In a poignant moment, Amelie Burnham, granddaughter of the late Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, called on the younger generation to uphold the principles of resilience and integrity that defined the early Guyana-Cuba relationship established by her grandfather.
The Global Context: Condemning the Fuel Embargo
The coalition’s demands were set against the backdrop of a worsening humanitarian crisis in Cuba, fueled by the ongoing U.S. fuel embargo.
- Fuel & Healthcare: Participants warned that the embargo is leading to hospital closures and the deterioration of basic services in Havana, which in turn affects their ability to sustain overseas missions.
- Solidarity Against Sanctions: Veteran trade unionist Norris Witter (TUC) reinforced the call for Guyana to join the international chorus demanding an end to the blockade, framing it as a threat to the regional health security of the entire Caribbean.
A Necessity for Public Health
As the Ministry of Health continues to push for the construction of 12 new regional hospitals—including the $6.8B facility in Bartica—the coalition’s message is a stark reminder that “buildings don’t heal people; doctors do.” For the trade unionists, activists, and former leaders gathered on Charlotte Street, the reinstatement of the Cuban Medical Brigade is the only pragmatic solution to the current healthcare “brain drain” facing the nation.
