Cuba’s Ambassador to South Africa, Fakri Rodríguez Pinelo, joined distinguished members of the Cuban Medical Brigade (BMC) at their Annual Coordinators Meeting, celebrating three decades of healthcare collaboration between the two nations.
The event highlighted the contributions of highly regarded Cuban doctors—described as “excellent patriots”—who have devoted much of their lives to delivering top-tier medical care to South African communities, particularly in underserved areas.
This gathering also commemorated the 30th anniversary of the first Cuban galenos (doctors) arriving in South Africa in 1996, fulfilling a shared vision of revolutionary leaders Fidel Castro and Nelson Mandela. The partnership, born from post-apartheid solidarity, has since trained hundreds of South African students in Cuban medical schools under the Nelson Mandela-Fidel Castro programme and deployed brigades to bolster local health services.
Ambassador Rodríguez Pinelo praised the doctors’ unwavering commitment, underscoring enduring ties of friendship and mutual support between Havana and Pretoria.
