Camila M. Ortiz Alvarado and María Cristina Lepuce Krauss are two young women from Puerto Rico who first came to Cuba as members of the Juan Rius Rivera Solidarity Brigade, and both are very clear that they will return because the experience and the welcome they received were well worth it.
Camila, a 20-year-old medical student, told the Cuban News Agency in an exclusive interview that she joined the Brigade without knowing anyone. When she told her mother she was traveling to Cuba, she already had her plane ticket and would be on the island in two weeks.
The young woman is participating in the 1st International Colloquium “Fidel: Legacy and Future,” which is being attended by some 1,500 national and international delegates from 63 countries. She expressed her amazement at the Cuban healthcare system, the free training offered to young people from other parts of the world, and the humanism of the Cuban medical school. She confessed that she has felt the warm love of the people.
At the event, she is visiting all the halls, attending the panels, and learning about the historical figure of Fidel. She commented that it is an experience she will carry with her and that she can count on the Puerto Rican Brigade’s next trip. She is fascinated by the music and the people who haven’t lost their joy, despite the difficult times, she added.
While María Cristina confirmed what her companion had said, expressing her desire to extend their stay in Cuba, she commented that both nations are very similar in their culture and the idiosyncrasies of their people.
She is 21 years old and a student of pedagogy. She explained that her colleagues in the Solidarity Brigade, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary, prepared her for the trip. She enlisted and was a little nervous, but when she saw the affection shown to her and how well she has been treated here, she feels right at home, even with her fan and flashlight to cope with the power outages, she said.
What impresses both Camila and María Cristina most about Cubans is their serenity in facing such difficult times. “We brought what we had to support them as well,” they revealed as they headed to one of the rooms in the Havana Convention Center to learn more about Fidel Castro’s legacy.
IMAGE CREDIT: Jessica Jiménez Gaínza and Bárbara Vasallo | Photo: Luis Jiménez
[ SOURCE: AGENCIA CUBANA DE NOTICIAS ]
