The ceremony also served as a tribute to the events of July 26, 1953—which launched the struggle led by the Cuban Revolution’s leader and culminated in the victory of January 1, 1959—noted António Manuel Pacavira, the Institute’s founder.

  Attendees included Jorge Trujillo, the Cultural and Press Attaché at the Cuban Embassy; Melissa Bascomb, Third Secretary of the diplomatic mission; and Fernando Mota, Vice President of the Angolan League for Friendship, Solidarity, and Peace (LAASP).

  Trujillo congratulated the graduates, stating that few ways of honoring Fidel Castro (1926–2016) are as authentic as training young people who will dedicate their lives to caring for others’ health, given that the revolutionary leader viewed healthcare as a fundamental human right.

  Evidence of this commitment is that, despite Washington’s economic aggression—intensified this year by new measures and an oil blockade—the country continues to devote significant resources to preserving free, universal healthcare, protecting the most vulnerable segments of the population, and sustaining the development of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

  A phase filled with responsibilities now begins, during which they must put their knowledge and ethics into practice, the diplomat maintained.

  “May Fidel Castro’s example—his faith in science, his commitment to social justice, and his profound sense of human solidarity—serve as constant inspiration in the practice of your profession,” he concluded.

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