In an exclusive interview with the television program Diplomatic Couch, the head of the Mission stated that Cuba and Zimbabwe are facing the application of unilateral coercive measures, which were once again rejected by their foreign ministers at the recent High-Level Segment of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The ambassador highlighted that 43 countries called for an end to the US blockade in that context and, on 19 occasions, rejected Cuba’s inclusion in Washington’s State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSOT) list.
The diplomat also expressed her gratitude for Zimbabwe’s support for the just struggle against Washington’s hostile policy, which is almost unanimously shared by the international community, with the backing of 187 countries last year.
Perez Mesa added that the Cuban people have been victims, for more than 60 years, of this extraterritorial policy, which violates international law and is the leading obstacle to the country’s economic and social development.
In her statements to the Diplomatic Couch, the ambassador praised the condemnation of the US blockade in February, during the session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), as a sign of the region’s support.
During the interview, the diplomat referred to bilateral relations with Zimbabwe, established 45 years ago, two days after the African nation’s independence, and especially to collaboration in key areas such as public health and education.
In this regard, Perez Mesa remembered that Cuban medical brigades have been in Zimbabwe since 1986. For example, the 14th Brigade is currently working in hospitals in Harare and Bulawayo, providing more than 61,000 consultations and over 2,000 surgeries, in addition to holding health fairs in hard-to-reach communities.
The ambassador also referred to the history of the island’s medical cooperation, which began in Algeria in 1963, with 605,000 health professionals in 165 countries, 2.2 billion consultations, and more than 15 million surgeries, saving the lives of more than nine million people.
Other issues included potential areas of cooperation and ongoing projects to expand the excellent bilateral relations strengthened by leaders Fidel Castro and Robert Mugabe.
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