Fidel Castro Receives Cuban Medical Brigade

Fidel Castro Receives Cuban Medical Brigade Havana, Aug 18. – Leader of the Cuban Revolution Fidel Castro was at Havana's international airport to welcome home the Moto Mendez solidarity medical brigade, which carried out a psychological and clinical-genetic survey of disabilities in Bolivia, the local media reported on Wednesday.

Fidel Castro congratulated the 213 brigade members and gave each of them an autographed copy of his newly-published book, "La Victoria Estrategica" (The Strategic Victory).

In a message to the internationalist medical personnel, the revolutionary leader termed their work tireless, and highlighted their courage in facing the harsh climate conditions in Bolivia.

"You have encountered truly severe cases, such as those of human beings who were born blind and deaf, and have never seen a ray of light or heard a sound, or had contact with life despite being born, and those simple elements are enough to feel happy, sing and communicate with other people, simply to live," Fidel Castro stated.

"The people you assisted, the bearers of a range of sufferings, repay all of you with the happiness of doing good, something that cannot be bought with all the gold in the world. This proves that human beings, above and beyond their instincts, are capable of becoming a symbol of generosity and good," he affirmed.

Fidel Castro announced that some of the brigade members would soon travel to Ecuador, where other compatriots are carrying out a similar study of disabilities, along with physicians from that South American country.

"Our strength, which brought happiness to nearly 800,000 people in Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador and Nicaragua, is just a wisp of what can be done for the peoples of this hemisphere and the rest of the world, without charging them a single penny," the Cuban leader stated.(Prensa Latina)