Guatemalan Lauds Cuban Med Support
Cuba´s presence in the world is in the hands of its medical workers who bring necessary assistance to the most abandoned regions, pronounced Guatemalan intellectual Marco Vinicio Mejia.

Mejia, columnist and writer, presented in this capital "Cuba on the Pulse of Guatemala" a book he defined as "a testimony of gratitude".

"Cuba's heart beats in the thousands of vaccines and the blood its people have donated in dozens of tragedies. Its solidarity and generous presence are in the biotechnological advances against AIDS in Africa," the professional stressed.

The self-financed publication was launched in the Italian Institute of Culture and sponsored by the Cuban Embassy in Guatemala, where there are more than 830 Cuban health workers offering medical assistance.

The book is a compilation of "testimonies of solidarity, fraternity, commitment and sacrifice of the Cuban health workers" since the arrival of the first group after the devastating passage of Hurricane Mitch in 1998.

It also includes a report on the work carried out by the 600 professionals sent by the Cuban government in support of the victims recently left by Tropical Storm Stan.

This contingent (part of the Henry Reeve Brigade) specialized in disasters and epidemics was intended to support US southern regions after Hurricane Katrina, but the Bush government rejected it for political reasons.

The author criticized the enemies of the Cuban Revolution that try to distort its reality, including the media that highlights problems of the country and silences its achievements.

Mejia expressed himself in defense of an "island taking the practice of liberation and solidarity farther than any other country in the world."

The book, he said, intends to refute prejudices and the steady disinformation on Cuba's great social development, as well as the effects of the international cooperation promoted by its government and people.